-
Nurses face disproportionately high rates of workplace violence. Healthcare workers are ~5 times more likely to experience workplace violence than workers overall, with an incidence rate of about 10.4 per 10,000 workers vs. 2.1 overall.
-
A majority of nurses report recent exposure to workplace violence. A 2023 national survey found 81.6% of nurses experienced workplace violence in the past year, with verbal threats (67.8%) and physical threats (38.7%) most common.
-
Non-physical violence (harassment, threats) is even more frequent than physical assault. Rates of non-physical violence reach ~38.8 incidents per 100 nurses annually, compared to 13.2 physical assaults per 100 nurses.
-
Patients and visitors are the primary source—but workplace culture also matters. Over half of violent incidents originate from patients, but factors like understaffing, poor management support, and workplace environment significantly increase risk.
-
Workplace violence contributes to burnout, turnover, and staffing shortages. About 17% of nurses leave their jobs annually due to violence, and many consider leaving the profession entirely.
-
Incidents are widely underreported. Underreporting is common due to normalization of abuse, lack of institutional response, and fear of retaliation—meaning true rates are likely much higher than documented.