Formally reporting incidents of workplace violence among nurses: A scoping review

Aim We aim to describe and synthesize the scientific literature on nurses' formal reporting of workplace violence. Background Research on reporting workplace violence among nurses is increasing annually, but the evidence from such reports has not been summarized or analysed. Evaluation A scoping review was conducted using electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and Ovid-Embase. Key Issues Forty-nine studies were included in this review, and four significant issues pertinent to reporting of workplace violence was identified: (1) the reporting rate is generally low, and oral report is the most popular medium; (2) nurses are often not satisfied with how the organisation handles their report; (3) the reasons affecting reporting are complex and diverse; and (4) few studies have proposed countermeasures to promote reporting formally. Conclusions Scholars are paying increasing attention to workplace violence; however, the reporting of workplace violence in real world situations is not being facilitated to inform improvements in managing violence in the workplace. Therefore, more countermeasures conducive to reporting urgently need to be put forward. Implications for Nursing Management Nurse managers are in a pivotal position to encourage reporting by their staff, respond pro-actively and advocate for more streamlined and accessible processes. The findings of this review can provide a basis for nursing managers to better manage workplace violence and improve the reporting rate among nurses.

Automated summary

This review identified several key issues related to nurses' formal reporting of workplace violence, including low reporting rates, dissatisfaction with organizational handling of reports, complex reasons for not reporting, and lack of proposed countermeasures to promote formal reporting. Nurse managers play a crucial role in encouraging reporting, responding proactively, and advocating for streamlined processes. This review can serve as a basis for nursing managers to improve workplace violence management and reporting rates.