Empowering Nurses in an Era of Workplace Violence: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Workplace violence (WPV) against nurses and health care staff presents a sobering challenge to organizational leaders and administrators. Although there is abundant research describing the negative effects of WPV on nurses and hospital staff, there is a gap in knowledge related to strategies and interventions to mitigate the negative effects of WPV such as burnout, dissatisfaction, and turnover. We describe the results of a pilot study of the use of a violence assessment tool to promote nurse empowerment, satisfaction, and retention. Further study is needed to investigate the potential positive effects of this tool on nurse attitudes and behaviors.