Prevalence of Violence Among Co-Workers

Nursing can be a high-stress job, particularly when conditions such as increased patient load or short staffing ramp up the pressures. A 2011 survey of nurses by the American Nurses Association revealed acute/chronic effects of stress and overwork to be their top safety concern. Stressful conditions can lead to hostility between co-workers.

Just how prevalent is worker-on-worker violence among nurses?

• 53% of student nurses report being put down by a staff nurse (Longo, 2007).
• 57% of nurses report having been threatened or experienced verbal abuse from coworkers (ANA, 2001).
• A study of 130 staff nurses revealed that 90% reported experiencing at least one episode of verbal abuse during the past year (Manderino & Berkey, 1997).