ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Nurses are at risk of occupational assaults. However, the incidence and effects have not been documented among nurses in Taiwan. We aimed to study the incidence of assaults and their effects, including quality of life and job-related stress among nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to understand the incidence of work-related assaults in nurses. Job content questionnaire was used to determine the job control, psychological demands at work, and workplace support in these nurses. Quality of life was assessed by short form-36 (SF-36). RESULTS: A total of 842 nurses satisfactorily completed the questionnaire, including 375 from general hospitals and 467 from psychiatric hospitals. A total of 237 (28.1%) reported to have experienced physical and/or verbal assaults in past 6 months. Experiences of sexual assault or verbal abuse were risk factors for feeling threatened by potential attacks. Nurses who felt threatened by potential attacked scored lower in general health, mental health, and vitality by SF-36, and had higher psychological demands at work, lower job control, and lower workplace support. CONCLUSION: We conclude that nurses in general and psychiatric hospitals had high risk of assaults. Worksite assaults caused nurses to feel threatened, and such an effect was likely to cause increased job stress and decreased quality of life.
Subject(s)
Nurses/statistics & numerical data , Violence/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Hospitals/statistics & numerical data , Hospitals, Psychiatric/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Incidence , Middle Aged , Nurses/psychology , Quality of Life , Stress, Psychological , Surveys and Questionnaires , Taiwan/epidemiology , Violence/psychology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Although musculoskeletal problems are commonly reported among the working population, including nurses, the prevalence and risk factors for musculoskeletal discomfort in nurses have not been extensively studied in Taiwan. To understand the risk factors and prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort in different body parts among nurses in Taiwan, we performed a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire to collect data. A total of 5,269 (93%) nurses completed the questionnaire survey. Musculoskeletal discomfort was found to be prevalent in this group. In terms of location, the lower back was the most commonly reported site of discomfort, followed by lower legs, shoulders and neck. Considering limitation of motion as an indicator of musculoskeletal discomfort severity, the highest levels of prevalence were reported, respectively, in the lower back, shoulder, lower leg, and wrist. Numbness was most commonly reported in lower legs, hands, thighs, and lower back. Risk factors for pain in shoulders/neck included waist-bending and waist-twisting, while those for lower back pain included duration of standing, waist-bending, and weight-lifting. Risk factors for lower leg pain included duration of standing and weight-lifting. Musculoskeletal discomfort was prevalent among nurses (91.6%). Pain in different body parts was related to different ergonomic risk factors while at work, namely, bending and twisting of the waist, and standing for extended periods of time. The development and testing of interventions to minimize these risk factors is warranted in future studies.
