How did this topic make you feel?

This topic made me feel better prepared for future situations that may involve workplace violence. It also made me wonder if there was an instance where I could have potentially been a bystander to someone who may have needed help without even realizing it. Most of all I found myself shocked by some of the stories that I listened to as well as statistics that were presented.

Was this topic review or new information for you?

I previously thought I was fairly educated on workplace violence due to previous research only to learn so much more. I did not realize how violence can appear in the workplace and did not know all the risk factors or signs which caused me to overlook so much. Although some of this information was review, I was able to learn some new and valuable information, for example, the hand signal for when someone is in trouble or bills made to address this problem.

How does this topic relate to the College of Nurses Standards?

Some of the professional standards required by a nurse to follow are leadership, relationships and accountability. To be a leader means showing leadership by providing, facilitating and promoting the best possible care/service to the public. A nurse must also be able to establish and maintain respectful, collaborative, therapeutic and professional relationships. Where professional relationships are based on trust and respect and must result in improved client care. Lastly, accountability means being accountable to the public and responsible for ensuring that a nurse’s practice and conduct meets legislative requirements and the standards of the profession. If violence and incivility become a problem in the workplace it also means these standards are not being followed since violence and incivility in the workplace means that the best possible care is not being provided to the patients, the relationships within the healthcare team are not respectful or collaborative and nurse’s practice and conduct do not meet legislative requirements and the standards of the profession.

What are your 3 Key take aways from this virtual?

My 3 take aways from this virtual are:

• – It is important for everyone to take some form of mandatory violence training to inform people and help diminish the violence in the workplace.
• – The importance of listening and communicating in a scenario of incivility of violence in the workplace to de-escalate the situation
• – We all lives, worries or may even have stereotypes that we may carry within us but the right attitude towards our team and the patients can make a significant contribution to empathy and civility within the workplace and health care team.

How can you implement these take aways into your nursing practices?

I can implement these takeaways by advocating the importance of a safe environment and spreading the knowledge I have gained with others to ensure that people are informed. In addition to that I can keep on practicing my communication and listening skills that way, when I am found in a situation that could lead to violence or incivility, I have the necessary skills to de-escalate and prevent the situation. Lastly, I can learn to separate my personal life from my work life and ensure I have a positive attitude towards patients and coworkers around me.

References

College of Nurses of Ontario (2002). Professional Standards, Revised 2002. (Pub No. 41006) https://neltoolkit.rnao.ca/sites/default/files/CNO_Professional%20Standards,%20Revised%202002.pdf