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Workplace violence targeting student nurses in the clinical areas

Thesis (MCur (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Workplace violence in health care is a worldwide phenomenon. In nursing, the
nature of workplace violence is predominantly non-physical in nature. Literature
reveals the devastating consequences for the individual nurse, both physically and /
or emotionally, depending on the nature of the violence. The consequences for the
organisation / institution and the profession are equally devastating, manifesting in
reduced standards of patient care and increased attrition from the profession. The
pervasiveness of this problem indicates that to date, remedial and protective
measures have been unsuccessful.
However, most of the research done on workplace violence in nursing has been
conducted amongst qualified nurses. The purpose of this study was to investigate
the extent of workplace violence, targeting student nurses in clinical areas. The
setting was the Western Cape College of Nursing and the population was second,
third and fourth-year, pre-registration students. The research objectives addressed
various aspects, for example, type, prevalence, perpetrators, consequences and
management of workplace violence.
A quantitative research design, utilising a survey, was chosen for the study. A
probability sample of n = 255 students was selected, using stratified, random
sampling as the sampling method. The variables selected for stratification were
gender and year of study. A self reported, anonymous questionnaire, guided by the
literature review and by the research objectives, was utilised for data generation.
Summary statistics were used to describe the variables, whilst distributions of
variables were presented in the form of histograms and frequency tables. Where
appropriate, the relationships between demographic and research variables were
described, using suitable statistical analyses.
The findings revealed that the perpetration of non-physical violence against student
nurses is widespread, particularly that perpetrated by co-workers, more specifically
registered, staff- and assistant nurses. The under reporting of workplace violence
was a common finding.
Student nurses suffer grave emotional consequences as a result of workplace
violence. Almost half of the respondents admitted that they had considered leaving nursing due to workplace violence and that it had negatively affected their standard
of patient care. The overall conclusion was that, in accordance with a worldwide
trend amongst all categories of nurses, student nurses are targets of workplace
violence in the clinical areas.
These findings have particular implications for the management of nursing education
institutions. The fact that student nurses are targeted to the extent revealed in this
study indicates that existing preventive measures in the clinical areas have not been
effective. The recommendations arising from this study therefore focus on equipping
the vulnerable trainee with the tools to withstand workplace violence. As such, the
recommendations are directed at the management of the nursing education
institution, to create awareness around the problem, to empower students to confront
and cope with workplace violence and to support students traumatised by workplace
violence.
Finally, this study suggests avenues for further research, for example, research in
the same setting after implementation of the recommendations, or further research
into the dynamics of workplace violence, targeting student nurses from the
perspective of qualified nursing staff or patients. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geweld in die gesondheidsdienste werksplek is ‘n wêreldwye verskynsel. In
verpleging is geweld in die werksplek oorwegend nie-fisies van aard. Die literatuur
wys op die ingrypende fisiese en / of emosionele gevolge vir die individuele
verpleegkundige, afhangend van die aard van die geweld. Die gevolge vir die
organisasie of instelling, asook vir die verpleegberoep, is eweneens ingrypend en
manifesteer in verlaagde standaarde in pasiëntsorg en ‘n toename in
verpleegkundiges wat die beroep verlaat. Die algemene verskynsel van die problem
dui aan dat regstellende en beskermende maatreëls tot dusver onsuksesvol was.
Die meeste navorsing oor geweld in verpleging is egter tot dusver onder
gekwalifiseerde verpleegkundiges gedoen. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die
omvang van werksplek-geweld, met studenteverpleegkundiges as teikengroep, in
die kliniese areas na te vors. Die studie is by die Wes-Kaap Kollege van Verpleging
uitgevoer en die populasie was al die tweede, derde en vierde-jaar, voor-registrasie
studente. Die geformuleerde navorsingsdoelwitte vir die studie het verskeie aspekte
aangespreek, soos byvoorbeeld, tipe, frekwensie, die uitvoerders van geweld,
gevolge en die hantering van werksplek-geweld.
‘n Kwantitatiewe navorsingsontwerp, met gebruikmaking van ’n opname, is vir die
studie geselekteer. ‘n Waarskynlikheidsteekproef van n = 255 studente is deur
middel van gestratifiseerde, ewekansige steekproefneming geselekteer. Geslag en
jaar van studie was as die veranderlikes vir stratifikasie gekies. Die instrument vir
data-insameling was ‘n self-voltooide vraelys, gebaseer op die literatuurstudie en
gerig deur die navorsingsdoelwitte.
Opsommende statistieke is aangewend om die veranderlikes te beskryf, terwyl die
verspreidings van veranderlikes in die vorm van histogramme of frekwensie-tabelle
aangebied is. Waar toepaslik, is die verhoudings tussen demografiese en
navorsingsveranderlikes met behulp van toepaslike statistiese analises beskryf.
Die bevindinge het onthul dat die pleeg van nie-fisiese geweld teenoor
studenteverpleegkundiges algemeen voorkom, veral daardie deur mede-personeel,
meer spesifiek geregistreerde, staf– en assistent verpleegundiges. Die onderrapportering
van werksplek-geweld was ‘n algemene bevinding. Studenteverpleegkundiges ly aan erge emosionele gevolge, as gevolg van
werksplek-geweld. Byna die helfte van die respondente het erken dat hulle oorweeg
het om die beroep te verlaat en dat sodanige geweld hul standaard van pasiëntsorg
negatief beinvloed het. Die oorkoepelende gevolgtrekking was dat
studenteverpleegkundiges, in ooreenstemming met ‘n wêreldwye neiging onder alle
kategorieë van verpleegkundiges, die teiken van werksplek-geweld in die kliniese
areas is.
Hierdie bevindinge hou spesifieke implikasies vir die bestuur van verpleegonderriginrigtings
in. Die feit dat studenteverpleegkundiges tot die mate, soos in die studie
onthul, geteiken word, het aangetoon dat bestaande voorkomende maatreëls in die
kliniese areas oneffektief is. Die voorstelle vanuit hierdie studie is dus daarop gerig
om die ontvanklike nuweling toe te rus om werksplek-geweld teë te staan. As sulks
is die voorstelle gemik op die bestuur van die verpleegonderrig-inrigting, om
bewustheid rondom die probleem te skep, om studente te bemagtig om geweld te
konfronteer en te hanteer, en om studente, wat as gevolg van werksplek-geweld
getraumatiseer is, te ondersteun.
Laastens word moontlikhede vir verdere navorsing voorgestel, soos byvoorbeeld,
navorsing in dieselfde omgewing na die implementering van die voorstelle, of
verdere navorsing in die dinamika van werksplek-geweld teenoor
studenteverpleegkundiges, vanuit die perspektief van gekwalifiseerde
verpleegpersoneel of pasiënte.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/5183
Date11 1900
CreatorsHewett, Deirdre
ContributorsHugo, J., Stellenberg, E., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science.
PublisherStellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Formatxviii, 140 p. : ill.
RightsUniversity of Stellenbosch

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