Workplace violence against emergency nurses in Taiwan: A phenomenographic study

Background: Workplace violence (WPV) is a serious problem in health care in Taiwan, as it is worldwide. Among all nursing staff, emergency department (ED) nurses are at the highest risk of WPV; yet, little attention has been paid to nurses as WPV victims. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand ED nurses' WPV experiences and perspectives. Methods: An interpretive qualitative phenomenographic design was used to answer the following research question: what are the qualitatively different ways in which nurses in Taiwan experience WPV in the ED? Thirty ED nurses who identified as experienced with WPV were interviewed, and phenomenographic analysis was used to assess the data. Findings: Four categories of description emerged. WPV was seen as a continuing nightmare, a part of daily life, and a direct threat, and it had a negative impact on nurses' passion for emergency care. WPV adversely affected nurses on physical, psychological, social, personal, and professional levels. Conclusion: The findings of this study have practical implications for in-service WPV training programs and may be used to inform potential changes to policy and legislation designed to establish a safer ED environment for staff.