Background

Verbal abuse represents one of the most common forms of workplace violence encountered by nurses. In the United States (US), over half of nurses report experiencing verbal abuse from patients or their relatives. Nurses working in the emergency departments are particularly vulnerable due to high patient acuity, overcrowding, and the emotional demands of patient care. Although nurses in non-emergency settings may encounter verbal abuse less frequently, its detrimental effects on job satisfaction and retention remain substantial across clinical areas.

Objective

This study aims to (i) determine the proportion of nurses in the US who have experienced verbal abuse and their desire to leave the organization; (ii) evaluate and compare nurses’ responses to verbal abuse in emergency and non-emergency settings; (iii) assess and compare nurses’ perceptions of the causes of verbal abuse across these settings; and (iv) investigate differences in reported verbal abuse and turnover intention between emergency and non-emergency nurses across demographic factors.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey was administered using convenience sampling through Facebook and the Emergency Nurses Association. The sample included emergency and non-emergency nurses practicing in the US (n = 112). Verbal abuse was measured using the verbal abuse subscale of the Workplace Violence Questionnaire, and turnover intention was assessed using the Turnover Intention Scale. Data were collected and managed using Qualtrics.

Results

Among the 112 nurses who met the inclusion criteria, 97.3% reported being verbally abused in the past 12 months. Nearly half of the participants worked as emergency nurses (46.4%), while 53.6% had never worked in the emergency department. Emergency nurses reported higher frequencies of verbal abuse (mean [M]= 14.5, standard deviation [SD] = 3.57) than non-emergency nurses (M = 8.5, SD = 4.21; t[107] = 7.98, p < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in mean turnover intention scores between emergency nurses (M = 21.4, SD = 5.75) and non-emergency nurses (M = 20.5, SD = 5.48; t[110] = 0.885, p = 0.378). Mean turnover intention scores for both groups were above 18, indicating a high desire to leave the organization.

Conclusion

Verbal abuse is highly prevalent among nurses in both emergency and non-emergency settings in the US. Although emergency nurses experience higher levels of verbal abuse, turnover intention is similarly elevated across clinical settings. These findings underscore the need for organizational strategies that address verbal abuse as a widespread occupational issue affecting nurses across clinical environments and compromising the quality and safety of patient care.