Emergency department is not safe anymore: Nurses describing their suffering

PLoS One. 2025 Apr 29;20(4):e0322704. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0322704. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence represents a critical and alarming crisis in healthcare settings around the globe. This study seeks to shed light on the experiences of Jordanian nurses working in emergency departments, focusing on the forms of workplace violence they encounter, their emotional responses, and their coping strategies.

METHODS: Utilizing a qualitative descriptive design, we engaged a purposive sample of 24 nurses from two public hospital emergency departments. Data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using the seven-step Colaizzi method. Four main powerful themes emerged from the interviews:: (1) the shocking and harsh experience of nurses with WPV, (2) the negative consequences of WPV, (3) nurses feelings toward their experience of WPV, and (4) coping strategies for dealing with WPV.

CONCLUSION: The ramifications of workplace violence on nurses’ physical and mental health are profound, significantly influencing their intentions to remain in their positions. It is imperative for nursing policymakers and hospital leaders to take decisive action against workplace violence. Effective anti-workplace violence policies must be rigorously enforced by hospital authorities to safeguard the health and well-being of emergency nurses, thereby fostering a safer and more supportive healthcare environment for all.

PMID:40299843 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0322704