Violence from Within

Abstract

This paper is part of an effort to understand the direct cause or causes of the nursing crisis in the United States. The study examines this issue using official and self-report data from the NURSEWEEK/American Organization of Nurse Executives Survey and numerous literature reviews. The analysis addresses the magnitude of the relationship between physicians’ violence against nurses and nurse turnover rates. While the general image of physicians is almost always one of gentleness and helpfulness, it is ironic that the results of this study suggest that physicians’ violence against nurses is directly related to the high rate of nurse turnover. The study indicates that physicians are receiving training only in patient management, but not enough training in collegial management in environments where there are nurse professionals in the healthcare organization.