Worker, workplace, and community/environmental risk factors for workplace violence in emergency departments. Issue 2 (4th March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gillespie, Gordon Lee; Pekar, Bunnany; Byczkowski, Terri L.; Fisher, Bonnie S.
• Is Part Of: Archives of environmental & occupational health. Volume 72:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 79
• Page End: 86
• Publication Date: 2017-03-04
• Subjects: Health personnel -- workplace aggression -- workplace violence; Medicine, Preventive -- Periodicals; Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Occupational diseases -- Periodicals; Environmental Health -- Periodicals; Occupational Medicine -- Periodicals; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1080/19338244.2016.1160861
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1933-8244

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Workplace violence committed by patients and visitors has high propensity to occur against emergency department employees. This article reports the association of worker, workplace, and community/environmental factors with violence risks. A cross-sectional research design was used with 280 employees from six emergency departments in the Midwest United States. Respondents completed the Survey of Violence Experienced by Staff and a 10-item demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, Chi-square tests, and adjusted relative risks with 95% confidence intervals. Over 80% of respondents experienced at least one type of workplace violence with their current employer and approximately 40% experienced all three types. Risks for workplace violence were significantly higher for registered nurses and hospital-based emergency departments. Workplace violence can impact all employees in the emergency department regardless of worker, workplace, and community/environmental factors.