Introduction: The purpose of this research was to identify the prevalence of violence towards nursing staff in Slovenian nursing homes.
Methods: For the purpose of this study, a non-experimental sampling method was employed, using a structured questionnaire as a data collection instrument (n=527). The contents of the questionnaire proved valid and reliable, with a high enough degree of internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha minimum 0.82).
Results: The nursing staffs working in nursing homes for senior citizens are at high risk of violence. In the last year, the employees were most often faced with verbal violence (71.7%), physical violence (63.8%) and sexual violence (35.5%). 35.5% of employees suffered injuries at their working place. During aggressive outbursts of nursing home residents, employees particularly experience vulnerability, fear and insecurity.
Conclusion: There is a need for a comprehensive approach to tackle workplace violence. Some psychiatric health care facilities have already introduced certain measures in this field, and reduction of workplace violence proves that it is possible to reduce aggressive outbursts of patients. After conducting further quantitative research, which would expose detailed characteristics and the background of such violence, it would be sensible to develop similar measures in the field of health care in nursing homes.
Uvod: Namen raziskave je bil ugotoviti pojavnost nasilja, usmerjenega proti zaposlenim v zdravstveni negi v domovih starejših občanov.
Metode: Za to raziskavo smo uporabili neeksperimentalno metodo z anketnim vprašalnikom za zbiranje podatkov (n=527).
Rezultati: Raziskava je pokazala, da so zaposleni v zdravstveni negi v domovih za starejše v nevarnosti za nastanek nasilja. V zadnjem letu so se zaposleni največkrat soočili z verbalnim nasiljem (71,7%), fizičnim nasiljem (63,8%), in spolnim nasiljem (35,5%). 35,5% jih je bilo poškodovanih. Med agresivnim izbruhom se zaposleni soočajo z ranljivostjo, strahom in negotovostjo.
Zaključki: Raziskava kaže na to, da obstaja potreba po širšem pristopu k obvladovanju nasilja na delovnem mestu. Nekatere psihiatrične ustanove so že uspešno izvedle nekatere ukrepe na tem področju, kar dokazuje zmanjšanje števila agresivnih izbruhov. Po dodatni kvantitativni raziskavi, ki bi razkrila podrobne karakteristike in ozadje tovrstnega nasilja, bi bilo smiselno razviti podobne ukrepe tudi na področju zdravstvene nege v domovih starejših občanov.
Keywords: nursing; nursing homes; workplace violence.