Emergency nurses' perspective of workplace violence in Jordanian hospitals: A national survey

•Violence against emergency department nurses is a serious and prevalent problem in Jordan.•Violence against health care workers is a covert problem due to under reporting.•The most reported form of violence against emergency nurses is verbal violence.

BackgroundEmergency departments are considered high-risk areas, where violence against nurses is a serious and prevalent problem. Such violence has negative effects on nurses, and therefore on the quality of care provided.Aims of the studyTo explore the risk factors behind violence, and to specify reasons for the level of low reporting of violence among Jordanian nurses in emergency departments.MethodA cross-sectional design through conducting a survey in emergency departments in Jordanian hospitals.ResultsThe total number of emergency department nurses who participated in the study was 227. Of these, 172 (75%) had experienced some form of violence. Verbal violence was the most reported (63.9%), compared to physical violence (48%). The most reported reasons for violence from the nurses' perspective were waiting time, overcrowding, and patient and family expectations not being met, with frequencies of 54.3%, 53.3%, and 46% respectively. The treatment room was the most common place where the violence occurred. Only 16.6% of the nurses who experienced violence actually reported it. Being accustomed to workplace violence is the most stated reason for not reporting violence to the hospital administration or the authorities.ConclusionViolence against emergency department nurses is a significant issue that cannot be ignored. There are multiple reasons. The key point in dealing with the problem is to treat its specific causes.