The enduring silence of violence in the nursing workforce: An emerging phenomenon

Abstract

This phenomenological study aims to understand the lived experiences of nurses dealing with workplace violence in two tertiary hospital settings. Participants include nurses who had personally experienced two or more instances of bullying behaviour within the workplace and whose job statuses were classed as regular, casual, or job hired.

Transcribed data collected form interviews with these participants revealed five common themes, including (a) “Workplace violence happens to anyone”: workplace violence is becoming rampant in the healthcare industry; (b) “Damaging circumstances surround the nursing profession”: impacts of the workplace for nurses; (c) “Unpleasant experiences are better forgotten”: how nurses survive workplace violence; (d) “I am a Nurse and I stand by my profession”: why nurses opted to stay despite their workplace violence experiences, and (e) “I long for a better workplace”: striving for better working environments for nurses.

These interviews reveal that informants experienced unforgotten disruptive behaviours like fear, frustration, verbal abuse, humiliation, threats and abuse of power, resulting in helplessness and demoralisation that directly affected nurses’ feelings of dignity and self-respect. These legitimate occupational issues within the nursing workplace require attention and subsequent intervention to discontinue the silence surrounding healthcare workplace violence.