Workplace Violence Reported by Canadian Nurses

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, origins, and forms of workplace violence reported by nurses working in acute-care settings in the Canadian province of Quebec. The Quebec health-care system is currently undergoing a shortage of qualified nurses that has resulted in an oppressive work environment marked by violence towards nurses. A descriptive study design was used with a sample of 181 nurses (out of a possible 300). The data, collected in 2003 using a French translation of the Workplace Violence Events Questionnaire, show that 86.5% of the nurses were victims of violent incidents on more than 1 occasion. The nature of the abuse was physical (10.6%), psychological (86.4%), or sexual (30.7%), inflicted by a colleague (65.9%), a superior (59.6%), or a physician (59.1%). Nurses should be made aware of the prevalence of workplace violence. Preventive measures are urgently needed for the well-being of the nursing profession.