The Handoff: The Insidious Role of Organizational Violence in Nursing

Published: Sept. 13, 2021, midnight

Workplace violence against nurses has been a longstanding issue, particularly in the ED. A landmark study published by the Emergency Nurses Association in 2011 found that more than half of emergency nurses had been the victim of workplace violence in the preceding seven days, and a third had considered leaving the profession as a direct result.

Our guest for today's episode is a 20-year veteran of the ED and the Director of the Institute of Emergency Nursing Research who brings her training as an anthropologist to the study of nursing culture and how it contributes to the various forms of workplace violence.

In this conversation, Dan and Dr. Lisa Wolf discuss her definition of workplace violence, which includes not just violence perpetrated by patients, but also organizational violence and the role that it plays in creating a culture of aggression and withholding.

Dr. Wolf shares insights from her significant research on this topic, as well as strategies for nurse leaders to address it within their organizations.