JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Workplace violence against nurses is an ongoing safety and health challenge in healthcare. However, little is known about the experiences of nurses of color specifically in what is a predominantly White profession. During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace violence against certain ethnic/minority groups increased, which suggests that nurses of color may have unique experiences with workplace violence.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to (a) explore the lived experiences of nurses of color who have faced type II workplace violence in the hospital setting, and (b) assess the emotional and physical effects of type II violence among nurses of color.

Methods:

Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with nurses of color. The research team recruited participants through the snowball sampling method. Participants had to be at least 18 years old or over, be registered nurses who were currently working or have worked in the past in a U.S. hospital, have experience with workplace violence at some point in their career, and self-identify as a member of a racial/ethnic minority group. Interviews were conducted between February 2023 and March 2023. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyze the findings.

Results:

Ten nurses of color were interviewed: 5 Asians, 2 Latinos, 2 African Americans, and 1 Middle Eastern. Violence experienced by nurses of color fell under two categories: macroaggressions and microaggressions. Macroaggressions included physical violence, verbal abuse, and sexual violence. Microaggressions were those relating to the participants’ race. All nurses of color (n = 10) reported experiencing racial microaggressions and considered them very harmful. Microaggressions left a negative impact on nurses of color in terms of their self-esteem, the nurse-patient relationship, and their job performance. However, many participants did not speak up about microaggressions to either the perpetrator or management because they feared that their experiences would be dismissed. Minimization and normalization of microaggressions were common themes among participants. 90% of participants (n = 9) expressed that they do not feel supported in the hospital as nurses of color.

Conclusions:

Microaggressions are a form of workplace violence. “Micro” implies small, but the consequences of microaggressions are additive and detrimental. Racial microaggressions negatively impact nurses of color in terms of their personal well-being, job performance, and ability to deliver quality patient care. Given this, more policies, procedures, and resources must be in place to support nurses of color in the hospital setting.