Violence Against Nurses in the Triage Area: An Italian Qualitative Study

Aim: This qualitative study aims to investigate the feelings experienced by nurses following episodes of violence in the workplace.

Background: Numerous studies show that healthcare professionals are increasingly finding themselves victims of violence; of all professionals, nurses in the Emergency Department and especially those performing triage are one of the staff categories which most frequently experience these episodes during their work.

Introduction: In Italy, this phenomenon has been studied very little in comparison to other countries but has recently been gaining increasing attention. Few studies have investigated the feelings experienced by nurses following episodes of violence in the workplace.

Methods: For this study a phenomenological approach was used. Assumptions and previous findings were set aside (bracketing). A purposive sample of 9 nurses coming from 7 different Emergency Department in the region of Tuscany, Italy was interviewed during a focus group meeting. The data analysis was carried out using the Colaizzi method.

Results: Data analysis revealed 10 significant themes/responses. The quality of reporting was guaranteed by adopting the COREQ criteria.

Discussion: Data analysis revealed that nurses feel that violent episodes are "inevitable" and that they feel they have grown accustomed to high levels of violence, that they suffer feelings of "inadequacy" but also that they are aware that they themselves can trigger conflict with patients, and again suffer the feeling of "being alone" in facing these problems and a sense of "being left on their own" by the institution and feeling "hurt", "scared", "angry" and have a sense that "it is not fair". Last but not least, "the gender difference" appears to play an important role in the emotional response.

Conclusions: To suffer episodes of violence has serious and severe "hidden costs" which are just as important as the direct, tangible costs.