Introduction: Workplace Violence in Nurse Education – A Workforce Retention Issue Many factors contribute to the increasing violence in society, and the health institutions are not spared, with nurses being the most vulnerable proportion of the workforce. The aggressiveness can be on a verbal level and thus she is not exonerated from this. The issue of workplace violence when experienced in the course of training is likely to impede the retention of nursing students and even strive to discourage them from pursuing careers. With the nursing shortage escalating across all the countries in the world, it is paramount that policies addressing workplace violence in nurse education are enacted to achieve a steady supply of health professionals.
What is Workplace Violence Nursing? Workplace violence can be defined as aggressive attitude physical, verbal, psychosocial exhibited to the nurses or nursing students. It is very common that in the course of work, patients or patient relations’ and even other professionals’ aggressive behaviour is directed at nurses. Students in the nursing course are also exposed to this as early as the clinical years of their training. These pics extend fear and anxiety without the student’s ability to process these intellectual barriers over time. These tensions affect how students view their careers and their aspirations within their chosen field.
The Effects of Workplace Violence on Nursing Students
While clinical placements are an integral part of nursing training, they also pose threats to students such as workplace violence. Experiencing such aggressive acts during training may deteriorate one’s mental wellbeing and affect one’s studies. Many nursing students are intimidated by the prospect of their placements and this causes burnout, stress, or fatigue well before their career has even begun. This is detrimental to the general outlook of the student population as healthcare workers tend to suffer from, or in this case see the need to, withdrawal losses from the system.
The psychological distress caused as a result of violence can have damaging effects that could span an eternity. In the example of students who endure such events, some of them will suffer from conditions such as anxiety or depression and even post-traumatic stress, all of which will likely impair the person’s ability to function effectively in the occupation. These issues are bound to force most nursing students to quit their courses or even change their career orientation if they are not resolved.
The Significance of Nurse Educators
Nurse educators have a critical role in the provision and promotion of a violence-free work environment. Apart from clinical skills, educators must equip the students with the skills and knowledge to face the emotional and psychological impact that results from aggressive encounters. Introducing resolution of conflicts, de-escalation and self-defence methods to the coursework is paramount.
Besides, it is the role of the teachers to create an environment where students can freely communicate and student’s concerns are addressed through interaction and looking for guidance where necessary. Some students may also benefit from mental health resources, such as counselling or peer support to combat the emotional difficulties that workplace violence can trigger.
It is in such instances that the educators are able to assist the nursing students in developing the self-assurance and pour in the stamina, which without a doubt, is substrate for their professional career. This in turn optimises turnover of nurses by making certain that students are able to deal with the expectations of the profession.
Workplace Violence and Its Impact on Retention
The phenomenon of workplace violence has been identified as one of the major causes of the ‘turnover intent’ of registered nurses in the nursing profession. Nurses exposed to violent attacks tend to portray emotional fatigue together with detrimental effects in relation to job satisfaction, which causes them to exit the occupation. The same case scenario applies to the nursing students who experience violence during their training since they are also likely to exit the training before getting a chance to practise.
Workplace violence is one of the reasons why most nurse students opt out of the profession, and this makes the shortage of nurses worse. For this reason, it is essential to deal with this issue in the educational context to better retention as well as make sure there is enough skilled labour that meets the nursing needs globally.
Approaches for Dealing with Workplace Violence and Increasing Retention
In order to prevent workplace violence and increase the retention of the workforce, an integrated approach is required. This would require the involvement of health sectors, nursing schools and politics in advocating for the safety of the students. The main approaches include:
1-Zero-Tolerance Policies: Establishing stringent no-tolerance measures for any instance of workplace violence would go a long way in protection of the nursing students in question. There should be mechanisms to enable reporting of such violence so that appropriate action is taken in good time.
2-Safer Clinical Placements: As such, Such uniforms should work in tandem with health institutions so as to ensure that practice areas are not only protective of the nursing students but also conducive for their practice. This would necessitate appropriate monitoring as well as provision of safety orientation.
3-Training on Violence Prevention: Moreover, violence prevention training would also be a recommendation to be implemented in nursing programs which focuses on the ways in which violent situations should be handled including conflict de-escalation as well as self-defence techniques. This prepares students to deal with aggressive behaviours in a professional manner.
4-Access to Mental Health Support: In order to assist nursing students in getting over the provocation of experiences related to workplace violence, they should be availed of counseling and mental health services. Mental wellness can go a long way in alleviating burnouts and instilling hope of resilience in students within such professions.
5-Collaboration Between Institutions: Institutions and enforcement agencies dealing with healthcare should take measures on the incidence of violence in the workplace. Regular evaluations, matching remedy solutions, and assistance to the students on a continuous basis would be instrumental in promoting safety.
Conclusion
The Violence against Nurses: Reorientation of Educators in the Nursing Workplace Study is aligned with the current goal of the international nursing community-different organisations, institutions, and nursing educators who are responsible for the process of transforming theory to practise. The workforce retention is a concern that is the main reason behind the rising concern for workplace violence. This problem needs to be dealt with in order to maintain an adequate supply of professionals in the near future. Through the adoption of zero tolerance policies against violence, provision of advanced training aimed at countering violence and provision of psychological services, it is possible for the nursing schools to come up with a better and safer climate for the students. These aspects will promote the positive experience of the students as well as the strategies for provision and preservation of the committed nursing workforce over time.
