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10/03/2008
Across Europe, 22 per cent of nurses said they suffered violence or abuse at the hands of patients or their relatives at least once a month, according to new research.
The research, published in the journal Occupational Medicine, found that 39% of French nurses had suffered frequent violent incidents at the hands of patients or their relatives. France is followed by UK (29% ), Germany (28%) and Belgium (23%).
The researchers, from France, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, found that violence had wide-reaching effects including nurses leaving the profession, problems with recruitment, increased amounts of sick leave and "burnout". The study found that young nurses and nursing aides were at higher risk of attack than their more experienced colleagues.
Male nurses were targeted more often than their female workmates. Those on psychiatric, geriatric and emergency wards were at higher risk of attack than other nurses. The researchers, from a variety of European institutions, said violence at work raised the rate of sickness and burn-out, led to nurses leaving the profession and made it harder to recruit replacements.
The study was carried out in 10 European countries. It was based on a survey of 39,894 nurses. The authors said: "Staff should be protected by a sound trust policy and incidents should be carefully monitored. "Workplace violence is one of the most complex and dangerous occupational hazards facing nurses. "As its effects are varied, including increased sick leave, security costs, litigation, workers' compensation, and recruitment and retention issues, it is important to address both its psychological and organisational costs."
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