OCCUPATIONAL VIOLENCE: EXPERIENCES AND COPING STRATEGIES AMONG NURSES IN EMERGENCY CARE UNITS

Abstract

Objective: To reveal the experiences and coping strategies in the face of workplace violence suffered by nurses in Emergency Care Units. Material and Method: Qualitative study conducted between November and December 2018 through individual and audio-recorded interviews with 21 nurses from two Emergency Care Units in a city located in the state of Paraná, Brazil. For data analysis, the content analysis technique proposed by Bardin was used. Results: The following four categories were identified: 1) Motives for violence in the nursing work; 2) Violence escalation in the nursing work process; 3) The nurse’s feelings concerning work-related violence; and 4) The coping strategies among nurses in the face of work-related violence. The experiences of violence were related to delayed care, being a woman and holding important public activities. The coping strategies used were communicating to local authorities, practicing exercising active listening and empathy, keeping calm and spirituality. Conclusions: Nurses have a critical and comprehensive view of the violence they suffer in the work environment of Emergency Care Units from patients and companions due to factors such as delayed care, inadequate human resources, high patient demand, and prejudice against female nursing workers.