Page 589 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

556 n WORKPLACe VIOLenCe

The focus of this entry has been Type II Researchers have found that violence expe-
(patient/client) violence; however, no health rienced by health care staff is associated
W–Z care setting is immune from other types with lower patient ratings of the quality of
of workplace violence. With an increase in care (Roche, Diers, Duffield, & Catling-Paull,
health care services delivered outside the 2009). When staff members are injured, the
acute care setting, community-based workers remaining staff members may have to work
are at risk of serious or even fatal injury from excessive overtime or under conditions of
Type I (criminal intent) violence. Type III vio- short staffing. Replacement staff may not be
lence (worker-on-worker), often referred to as familiar with the patients and lack crucial
“lateral violence” is gaining increased recog- information regarding patients’ highly indi-
nition as a major problem in the health care vidual needs, triggers, and behaviors. In all
setting. scenarios, the quality of care suffers.
Workplace violence prevention efforts Research evaluating intervention
must be examined within the larger context directly at the primary, secondary, and ter-
in which health care is delivered. The wide tiary prevention of violence across health
availability of handguns, limits on public care settings is critically needed to reduce
funding for social services, and the need workplace violence and ultimately improve
to balance health care worker and patient patient care. A secure and healthful work
rights, are all contextual factors that impact environment is essential to a positive envi-
the risk of violence within individual health ronment of care.
care organizations. evidence exists to dem-
onstrate the inextricable link between staff Jane Lipscomb
safety and the quality/safety of client care. Cassandra Okechukwu