Patient Abuse and Violence: Nursing Issues in Psychiatric Wards
Some jobs carry a higher risk of unemployment than others. One of them is working in a psychiatric ward. Nurses assigned to the psychiatric unit are well aware of the daily threats, which include abuse, violent attacks, and emotional outbursts. On the other hand, his desire to care for and recover his patients with mental illnesses is critical. For psychiatric nurses, occupational hazards are much more severe. Marian Villanueva and John Bernardo, experienced psychiatric nurses at a public health centre in the Philippines, say it is impossible to predict when a patient will have a mental illness. A study in Victoria, Australia, discovered that mental health nurses were more vulnerable to workplace violence than police officers; 80% of mental health nurses were victims of violence, which equates to more than one in every three nurses. Although no detailed comparative studies have been conducted in the Philippines, this proportion is likely to decrease. Gilbert Cee, Kaori Fujishiro, and A. B. De investigated the aggressive behaviour of nurses in the Philippines. The team discovered that the health system was in good physical condition. However, there was verbal aggression: one in every 14 nurses reported physical abuse, and one-third admitted to being a victim of physical abuse. Marian and John both have ‘fighting scars’ from working in a psychiatric ward where patients are frequently unpredictable. According to MIMS, the three most significant threats to a nurse’s ability to protect the psychiatric space are violence, verbal abuse, and emotionally demanding situations.
Patient aggression
A psychiatric nurse frequently faces functional conflicts in a potentially violent situation: she must choose between caring for a patient and protecting herself. Long-term care professionals assigned to psychiatric services recognize that patient abuse is a part of their job and have learned to use various strategies to prevent and manage the abuse. A person’s energy attack is violence. The violence led by health workers has a long and short-term impact on nurses and the organization.
