Effect of an education program, risk assessment checklist and prevention protocol on violence against emergency department nurses: A single center before and after study

Aim
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an education program, risk assessment checklist and preventive protocol on violence against emergency department nurses.

Methods
The design was a quasi-experimental before and after study of a group. A hospital emergency department’s nurses participated in a workshop in which they were taught a method of using a risk assessment checklist and preventive protocol. The intervention lasted six weeks. The mean score and type of violence was measured before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed by SPSS.

Results
The mean score of violence before the intervention was 8.4 and after the intervention it was 2.7, which was statistically a significant difference (p < 0.0001). In addition, there were significant differences in the mean frequency of verbal abuse (p < 0.0001), assessment of workplace security (p = 0.006), fear of injury (p < 0.02) and type of reaction to violence (p < 0.01) before and after the intervention among the nurses. Conclusions Using the BVC risk assessment checklist and preventive protocol can reduce the experience of violence and verbal abuse, which is the most common form of violence for emergency department nurses. Using this checklist and preventive protocol when patients arrive in emergency departments is recommended.