Workplace Assaults on Nursing Assistants in US Nursing Homes: a Multilevel Analysis

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2010 Aug 21

PMID 20724680

Citations 15

Authors

Sangwoo Tak

Marie Haring Sweeney

Toni Alterman

Sherry Baron

Geoffrey M Calvert

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined risk factors for injuries to nursing assistants from assaults by nursing home residents at both the individual and the organizational level.

Methods: We analyzed data from the 2004 National Nursing Assistant Survey that were linked to facility information from the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey by use of multilevel modeling that accounted for the complex survey design effect.

Results: Thirty-four percent of nursing assistants surveyed reported experiencing physical injuries from residents' aggression in the previous year. Mandatory overtime (odds ratio [OR] = 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22, 2.24) and not having enough time to assist residents with their activities of daily living (OR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.25, 1.78) were strongly associated with experiencing injuries from assaults. Nursing assistants employed in nursing homes with Alzheimer care units were more likely to experience such injuries, including being bitten by residents.

Conclusions: Reducing mandatory overtime and having a less demanding workload may reduce the risk of workplace violence. In particular, prevention activities should be targeted at those nursing homes that care for cognitively impaired patients.

Citing Articles

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Cho M, Min K, Min J Healthcare (Basel). 2024; 12(3).

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Co-exposures to physical and psychosocial work factors increase the occurrence of workplace injuries among French care workers.

Colin R, Wild P, Paris C, Boini S Front Public Health. 2022; 10:1055846.

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Factors Associated With Residents' Responsive Behaviors Toward Staff in Long-Term Care Homes: A Systematic Review.

Song Y, Nassur A, Rupasinghe V, Haq F, Bostrom A, Reid R Gerontologist. 2022; 63(4):674-689.

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Workplace violence against healthcare professionals in a multiethnic area: a cross-sectional study in southwest China.

Jia H, Fang H, Chen R, Jiao M, Wei L, Zhang G BMJ Open. 2020; 10(9):e037464.

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Prevalence of Workplace Physical Violence against Health Care Professionals by Patients and Visitors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Li Y, Li R, Qiu D, Xiao S Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020; 17(1).

PMID: 31906306 PMC: 6982349. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17010299.

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