Strategies adopted by nursing professionals based on the violence suffered in urgency and emergency

Abstract

Objective: To identify the strategies adopted and meanings constructed by nursing professionals exposed to violence in an urgency and emergency unit. Method: A descriptive, qualitative study based on symbolic interactionism was conducted with eight nursing professionals from a hospital urgency and emergency service by means of a focus group. Results: The meanings were complex and the strategies adopted were tolerance towards violence to maintain control in the workplace, conflict management seeking to placate the situation, seek the safety of third parties and withdrawal from caring for the offending patient/companion. Conclusion: Violence was often conceptualized negatively and the strategies adopted by nursing professionals show an attempt to avoid the harm perpetrated by emergency patients. The various social actors implicated should synergistically provide means for protecting professionals.