Lisa M. Kath, San Diego State University, La Mesa, CA, United States; John R. Little, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States; Ryan S. Lizerbram, Colorado State University, FORT COLLINS, CO, United States; Maitreya Coffey, University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada; Anne Lyren, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Shaker Heights, OH, United States
Associate Professor San Diego State University La Mesa, California, United States
Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) get injured more frequently than construction workers, and when HCWs are restricted from their usual duties, patient care can be affected. Although HCWs can get injured through lifting or falling, another source of harm comes from the patients themselves. Patients may become aggressive towards HCWs when they are afraid or startled, especially if they have psychiatric or developmental issues. Objective: Patient behavioral events (PBEs) are defined as instances in which a patient has acted in a physically aggressive manner, regardless of intent or actual harm. This multisite research study was designed to test correspondence between PBE experiences and various work-related, psychological outcomes, such as job satisfaction, stress, and intent to quit. Not much is known about work-related psychological harm from these events. Design/Methods: Participants Participants from selected units were recruited from three children’s hospitals across the United States. Because of the nature of the invitations sent at the three hospitals, an accurate response rate is difficult to determine. Survey respondents (N = 490) were HCWs of various titles, with the majority identifying as staff nurses (N = 170, 35%). The average age of respondents was 37.80 years (SD = 11.10), and average years of experience was 8.46 (SD = 7.97). Procedure We asked participants questions regarding their PBE experiences, general work attitudes (job satisfaction, employee engagement, hospital attachment), stress-related outcomes (burnout, emotional demands, work pressure), and behavior-based outcomes (work withdrawal behaviors, intentions to quit). The PBE measures were created for this study, but the outcome items came from established measures. Results: We found that the PBE frequency and severity were both significantly associated with many outcomes (see Table 1), with frequency having more correlations with outcomes than severity. This is true whether the PBE is experienced directly or indirectly (witnessed/heard about).
Conclusion(s): These results provide support for the idea that frequent, low-level events may be harmful and that PBEs may cause harm beyond those directly targeted. Pediatric PBEs are reported to be on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic. The effect of these events is important to understand so that nurses and other healthcare workers can be resourced properly to avoid long-term negative outcomes.
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