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Work-related violence is a serious occupational risk for health care workers. Especially, it is well known that nurses tend to be victims of verbal and physical violence by patients and their relatives. The purpose of this study was to clarify the high priority measures for preventing and controlling work-related violence and to examine the efficiency of practical counter measures through examining the results of applying a newly designed action checklist.
Methods
The subjects were 242 nurses who had participated in the participatory training program for preventing and controlling incidences of work-related violence in health care setting (1-day training course) conducted by a prefectural Nursing Association. Replies to a self-administered questionnaire, including an action checklist for ensuring safety and security in hospitals (ACCESS-Hospital), violence cases experienced and subject attribution, were collected after the program. The action checklist consisted of 30items in six action areas (Miki. et.al. 2008).
Results
The measures prioritized by the nurses included: 1) develop the framework violence prevention as part of stress management (86.3%), 2) ensure appropriate care for victims (80.1%), 3) establish a return to work and rehabilitation program for victims (79.7%), 4) provide on-the-job training about the procedures of calling for help from other departments in emergencies (77.7%), 5) provide a consultation service for victims of violence and assaults (76.8%), and 6) provide training regularly for workers about preventing incidents and injuries through role-playing sessions (76.3%).
Discussion
The results of this study showed that the action checklist was useful for identifying priority measures necessary for the hospitals, including preventive measures and training, emergency procedures and post-incidence measures. It is suggested to utilize the action checklist in various health care facilities.