According to Blais and Hayes (2016), violence in the community happens in neighborhoods and within the school setting. Children and the elderly are a particular concern when it comes to violence in communities. Children exposed to violent acts are more susceptible to aggressive behaviors …show more content…
and the elderly are seen as easy victims of violence. School violence can occur to individuals in preschool all the way through to college. School violence include acts of “ . . . bullying, fighting, weapon use, electronic or social media aggression, and gang violence.” (p. 447).
Violence in the workplace consist of verbal assault and battery against a worker, customer, patient or intimate partner.
Horizontal or lateral violence refers to violence against a nurse by another nurse. Examples of horizontal or lateral violence include “ . . . undermining activities, withholding information, sabotage, scapegoating and backstabbing” (Blais and Hayes, 2016, p. 448). This puts the nurse often times in an ethical dilemma that produces anxiety and stress that could potentially affect their ability to do their job. The Center for American Nurses suggest a zero-tolerance policy should be effective in every healthcare setting to show these behaviors will not be tolerated (Blais & Hayes,
2016).
Some important aspect of assessing the abused are giving them privacy and the feeling of safety. Nurses must recognize the common symptoms that are associated with abuse and look for certain indications of abuse while performing the head-to-toe assessment.
Terrorism is a public health concern that affects everyone in society. The weapons used by terrorist include nuclear, biological, and chemical agents. Nurses can help prepare for terrorist attacks by collaborating with other healthcare professionals and implementing mass casualty plans and drills (Blais and Hayes, 2016).