Citation

Havaei F, Macphee M. Nurs. Open 2020; 7(3): 731-741.

Affiliation

School of Nursing University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/nop2.444

PMID

32257260

PMCID

PMC7113506

Abstract

AIM: To examine the relationships between workload factors at different systems levels (unit level, job level and task level), patients/family complaints and nurse reports of patient violence towards them using a human factors framework.

DESIGN: This is a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data.

METHODS: Data from 528 nurses working in medical-surgical settings in British Columbia, Canada, were analysed. At the unit-level workload factors included patient-RN ratios, patient acuity and dependency; at the job-level perceptions of heavy workload, undone nursing tasks and compromised professional standards due to workload; and at the task-level interruptions to workflow.

RESULTS: Workload factors at multiple levels were directly related to workplace violence. Nurses' increased reports of compromised standards (job level) and interruptions (task level) were related to increased reports of physical and emotional violence, and higher patient acuity (unit level) was related to increased reports of emotional violence. Patient/family complaints mediated the relationship between almost all the workload factors and workplace violence.

© 2020 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Language: en

Keywords

human factors framework; nurses; patient and family complaints; workload; workplace violence