February 23, 2007—According to a recent survey by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), 86 percent of emergency nurses report having been the victim of violence by a patient or a patient’s family member when working in the emergency department.
Workplace violence and a nursing shortage — combined with increasing use of the emergency department — can diminish the quality of emergency care for patients.
This week, the nation’s leaders in emergency nursing practice and research will convene in Boston at the 2007 ENA Leadership Conference to identify solutions and discuss best practices for improving the emergency department experience for patients and staff. Among the numerous sessions that will draw on case studies from departments across the nation, “Violence in the Emergency Department” will explore the problem of violence experienced by emergency nurses and how safety within the nation’s emergency departments can be improved.
The 13th annual ENA Leadership Conference, which started Feb. 22. For more information on the conference or the survey, visit the ENA Web site.
