Background: Violence at work has negative effects on both workers and organizations. Among healthcare workers, nurses are the v1014 European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30 Supplement 5, 2020 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/30/Supplement_5/ckaa166.1299/5914913 by guest on 13 October 2020 professionals most at risk, especially those who work in emergency departments. However, literature data are estimated to be the tip of the iceberg. The study aims at analyze violence events that are not reported by professionals via common reporting system, in order to measure the real extent of the problem and allow the organizations introducing adequate prevention measures. Methods: The study took place in November 2016 in an emergency department in Southern Italy. A retrospective analysis was carried out by reviewing both the delivery registers (DR) used by nurses and doctors during the service, and the reports of security guards (RSG), in the period between 2011 and 2015. Results: The results show that violence frequency was higher than that present in the risk management reporting (only one case). In the DR, 40 violence events were reported, yet in the RSG, 109 cases were registered. More nurses (n = 33) than doctors (n = 8) reported violence events in the DR. In the RSG, guards reported the same number of cases involving nurses, and 26 cases for doctors. In 50 cases, the professional involved was not specified. The violence type was physical (5 DR vs 13 RSG), physical threats or attempted violence (4DR vs 13 RSG), and verbal (24DR vs 67 RSG). Weapons (e.g., knife, hammer, syringe) were used in 2 cases as reported in DR and in 4 cases according to RSG. The aggressor was mainly the patient (15 DR vs 83 RSG) and the companion (14DR vs 16 RSG). The shifts with more frequency of events are afternoon (15DR vs 40 RSG) and night (12DR vs 48 RSG). Conclusions: The data show an amount of submerged cases and highlight a discrepancy between report of professionals and violence events where security guards intervened. Key messages: Under-reporting violence cases require attention by the organizations. Prevention and protection strategies must be implemented. The use of the reporting system must be improved. Gender equity in scientific publishing: Analysis of
Study of submerged cases of violence on healthcare workers in an emergency department / Piras, I; Piras, G; Portoghese, I; Azara, A; Piana, A; Contu, P; Galletta, M. - In: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. - ISSN 1101-1262. - 30:Supplement_5(2020), pp. 1014-1015. (Intervento presentato al convegno 16th World Congress on Public Health 2020 Public Health for the future of humanity: analysis, advocacy and action tenutosi a virtuale on line nel 13-17 Ottobre 2020) [10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.1299].
Study of submerged cases of violence on healthcare workers in an emergency department
Piras, I
;Azara, A;Piana, A;
2020-01-01
Abstract
Background: Violence at work has negative effects on both workers and organizations. Among healthcare workers, nurses are the v1014 European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30 Supplement 5, 2020 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/30/Supplement_5/ckaa166.1299/5914913 by guest on 13 October 2020 professionals most at risk, especially those who work in emergency departments. However, literature data are estimated to be the tip of the iceberg. The study aims at analyze violence events that are not reported by professionals via common reporting system, in order to measure the real extent of the problem and allow the organizations introducing adequate prevention measures. Methods: The study took place in November 2016 in an emergency department in Southern Italy. A retrospective analysis was carried out by reviewing both the delivery registers (DR) used by nurses and doctors during the service, and the reports of security guards (RSG), in the period between 2011 and 2015. Results: The results show that violence frequency was higher than that present in the risk management reporting (only one case). In the DR, 40 violence events were reported, yet in the RSG, 109 cases were registered. More nurses (n = 33) than doctors (n = 8) reported violence events in the DR. In the RSG, guards reported the same number of cases involving nurses, and 26 cases for doctors. In 50 cases, the professional involved was not specified. The violence type was physical (5 DR vs 13 RSG), physical threats or attempted violence (4DR vs 13 RSG), and verbal (24DR vs 67 RSG). Weapons (e.g., knife, hammer, syringe) were used in 2 cases as reported in DR and in 4 cases according to RSG. The aggressor was mainly the patient (15 DR vs 83 RSG) and the companion (14DR vs 16 RSG). The shifts with more frequency of events are afternoon (15DR vs 40 RSG) and night (12DR vs 48 RSG). Conclusions: The data show an amount of submerged cases and highlight a discrepancy between report of professionals and violence events where security guards intervened. Key messages: Under-reporting violence cases require attention by the organizations. Prevention and protection strategies must be implemented. The use of the reporting system must be improved. Gender equity in scientific publishing: Analysis ofI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
