Workplace Violence Against Nurses

Workplace violence has been recognized as a violent crime that requires targeted responses from employers, law enforcement, and the community. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the most common source of injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work in the health care industry was assault on the health care worker (Wolf, Delao, & Perhats, 2014). The precursors and consequences of violence perpetrated against nurses and other health care professionals by patients are not well defined and understood.
Workplace violence is a serious problem in health care and one of great concern to emergency department and mental health nurses. When compared to other industries, the rate of workplace violence is highest among hospital