Empathetic Nurses and Their Reactions Towards Hostile Patients

Nurses and other medical personnel are frequently victims of what the Department of Labor defines as Type II Violence, or customer-to-employee violence, with 80% of health care workers have reported that they have experienced some type of physical aggression at some point in their career (Clements, DeRanieri, Clark, Manno, Kuhn, 2005). Patient aggression consists of direct physical assaults (with or without weapons), written or verbal threats, physical or verbal harassment, and homicide (Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA, 2015). The purpose of this study is to review both organizational factors and personal qualities of medical personnel that influence their responses to physical assault by patients. Recommendations for reducing workplace violence in healthcare setting will also be provided.