Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
HA Young Investigators Session (Projects to be presented by HA staff who had joined HA for 10 years or less)
Proposed Topic (Second preferred): :
Staff Engagement and Empowerment (motivating staff / teamwork / work revamp tackling manpower issue / staff wellness / OSH / retention)
Authors (including presenting author) :
LI LY (1)(2), CHRISTENSEN M(2)
Affiliation :
(1)Psychiatric Nursing Service, Kwai Chung Hospital, (2) School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Introduction :
Workplace violence is an area of significant and increasing concern for its high prevalence globally, especially in the field of psychiatric nursing. Psychiatric in-patient units are said to be ‘hot spots’ for violence due to different hospital settings, service delivery and distinct characteristics of psychiatric patients. Nurses working in this area are at increased risk for being victims of violence. The consequences go beyond short-term and long-term physical and psychological impacts, resulting in substantial deleterious effects on hospitals or even the entire healthcare system. There is dearth of evidence that examines the experiences of Hong Kong psychiatric nurses exposure of patient-initiated workplace violence.
Objectives :
The aim of this study is to better understand the lived experiences of psychiatric nurses who have been exposed to workplace violence in in-patient psychiatric units.
Methodology :
This qualitative study used descriptive phenomenology based within the tradition of Husserl approach. A purposive sampling was utilized with a sample of 6 eligible nurses. In-depth, individual, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted, video-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The collected data was analyzed by using Colaizzi’s seven-step method.
Result & Outcome :
4 central themes were developed, Predictably unpredictable: the inevitable catalysts for patient violence, Taking risks at work for its unsafe nature, Nursing with good intentions being rewarded with unpleasant costs and Learning to be a better nurse living through the experiences of patient violence. The potential catalysts of violence, the importance of therapeutic relationship, the challenging working environment, the issue of underreporting, role conflict and resilience of psychiatric nurses were discussed based on the findings in the study.
The study revealed the causes of patient violence, the challenges of working in an unsafe environment and unpleasant aftermath of nursing patient at the expense of their own physical and psychological well-being. However, psychiatric nurses found a silver lining in these negative experiences and recognized the meaning of being a nurse. This study provided insight into the biopsychosocial needs and the support psychiatric nurses need . It is imperative that hospitals make pragmatic changes in strategies in prevention and management of violence as well as targeted protocols to safeguard nurses’ physical and psychological health, and ultimately benefit the whole healthcare system.
