Working in the emergency department is not a job; it's like a war A narrative inquiry and interpretive phenomenology of the violence experienced by emergency nurses in Turkey

Abstract

AimsThis study aims to reveal the violent experiences of nurses working in the emergency department and the meanings they attribute to them.MethodsThis research was conducted as narrative inquiry and interpretive phenomenology and recruited 15 nurses. Interviews with nurses actively working in the emergency department and who had been exposed to violence by patients or their relatives were conducted with a semi-structured interview form. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist was used.ResultsIn the study, three themes were determined (1) Unpredictable event, (2) Interminable effects of violence, and (3) Like a bottomless pit. With seven sub-themes.ConclusionsThis study underlined that violence applied to nurses by patients or relatives of patients in the emergency department is an unexpected situation that causes negative emotions. Violence affects all aspects of life and limits communication with the patient. Coping with a violent situation is challenging for nurses, and they demand support from the management. What is already known about this topic?Violence is most commonly reported as experienced by nurses in the emergency department.Violence affects nurses deeply and causes negative effects in daily life.What this paper adds:Nurses described the violence perpetrated by patients or by patients' relatives as a situation that causes negative feelings such as anger, worthlessness, and injustice.Nurses emphasized that violence affects their clinical environment and their daily lives.The implications of this paper:The multidimensional and destructive effects of violence on nurses have shown that it is important to make the necessary arrangements quickly to reduce violence in the emergency departmentThe study provides information about the experiences of nurses who have been exposed to violence by patients or their relatives in the emergency department.