Supporting nursing staff exposed to violence at work.

An individual nurses risk of experiencing violence will vary related to his or her area of practice, role and work setting. The available evidence suggests that good practice in environmental design, security management and staff training may reduce but will not eliminate the probability of nurses experiencing assault. If we cannot prevent all violence then we must consider how we best support those who may be exposed to it. This paper thus explores the research on the effects of violence on nurses and critically examines the literature on staff support.