Understanding Nursing Workplace Violence Trends for Safer Clinical Oncology Settings

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence (WPV) against nursing professionals by patients and visitors occurs frequently, and rates of WPV increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. All nursing teams, including oncology nursing professionals, are at risk for WPV and need current WPV-related information applicable to their clinical experiences. OBJECTIVES: This overview aims to increase awareness of trends and personal safety issues related to clinical oncology nursing practice and provide strategies and resources to enhance personal safety in nursing practice. METHODS: This overview used literature reviews, publicly reported sources, other scholarly resources, and real -world examples to identify and synthesize WPV trends related to clinical nursing. FINDINGS: This overview's findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the increased rate of WPV and subsequent harm to nursing staff victims. Oncology nursing professionals can implement best practices to reduce their risk of being harmed, and healthcare institutions can operationalize best practices by having systems and resources in place that prevent and mitigate WPV.