Research Evidence to Decrease Violence in the Emergency Department
Major
Nursing, BSN
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Nursing
Faculty Advisor
Amanda Kemp
Location
CNS Atrium
Start Date
4-11-2026 8:30 AM
End Date
4-11-2026 9:45 AM
Abstract
Violence happens often in hospital settings, whether it is physical, verbal, or even sexual abuse. Physical violence most commonly occurs in the Intensive Care Unit, Inpatient Psychiatric units, and Emergency Departments. Violence in the emergency room (ED) is a serious concern for nurses because harms can range from psychological to death. More than half (60%) of the ED staff report being physically assaulted at work. Violence can cause nurses to fear for their safety, but can also contribute to burnout. Approximately 58% of nurses report experiencing moderate to high levels of burnout due to the increase in workplace violence. Responses to try and prevent violence have included more security, training, and metal detectors, but each of these interventions has drawbacks, such as creating barriers to trust between healthcare providers and patients. While metal detectors might decrease lethal violent incidents, hospitals have reported hardships of financial cost, staff concerns, and impacts on patients seeking help, because of slowing the flow of traffic in the hospital. Additionally, metal detectors do nothing to limit non-lethal kinds of abuse. The purpose of our research is to identify effective interventions to decrease incidents of violence in the ED. Our research will use the PRISMA framework to identify salient research evidence previously published. We will identify effective interventions that are supported by research results to recommend actions EDs can take to decrease or prevent violence. Since nurses are the frontline of care in EDs, we hope such interventions may lead to decreased burnout and improve retention of nurses. Our review is in process.
Research Evidence to Decrease Violence in the Emergency Department
CNS Atrium
Violence happens often in hospital settings, whether it is physical, verbal, or even sexual abuse. Physical violence most commonly occurs in the Intensive Care Unit, Inpatient Psychiatric units, and Emergency Departments. Violence in the emergency room (ED) is a serious concern for nurses because harms can range from psychological to death. More than half (60%) of the ED staff report being physically assaulted at work. Violence can cause nurses to fear for their safety, but can also contribute to burnout. Approximately 58% of nurses report experiencing moderate to high levels of burnout due to the increase in workplace violence. Responses to try and prevent violence have included more security, training, and metal detectors, but each of these interventions has drawbacks, such as creating barriers to trust between healthcare providers and patients. While metal detectors might decrease lethal violent incidents, hospitals have reported hardships of financial cost, staff concerns, and impacts on patients seeking help, because of slowing the flow of traffic in the hospital. Additionally, metal detectors do nothing to limit non-lethal kinds of abuse. The purpose of our research is to identify effective interventions to decrease incidents of violence in the ED. Our research will use the PRISMA framework to identify salient research evidence previously published. We will identify effective interventions that are supported by research results to recommend actions EDs can take to decrease or prevent violence. Since nurses are the frontline of care in EDs, we hope such interventions may lead to decreased burnout and improve retention of nurses. Our review is in process.