Caregivers facing violence in long term care setting: a cross analysis of incident reports and caregivers speech

International audienceBACKGROUND: Workplace violence is frequent, especially in long term care, but often unreported. AIMS: To identify workers experiences and coping strategies when they face physical aggression from residents and assess the value of incident reports for violence follow-up. METHODS: This mixed method study is based on incident reports collected over 3 years from two different long term care geriatric facilities in France, and thematic analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews of nurses and nursing assistants. RESULTS: The reported frequencies of physical aggression among respondents range from none to daily aggression. Only seventy-six incident reports were submitted. Aggressions were under-reported by caregivers who often felt guilty for not having avoided them. Coping strategies included banalization and seeking support from colleagues. Incident reports can constitute a warning signal for the management team, but are not a reliable tool for workplace violence follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Our study emphasizes the complexity of workplace violence prevention in long lerm care settings. Proposals can be formulated to train and support caregivers, but a shift from a task-oriented organization to a patient-centered approach seems necessary to reduce violence. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Situations to be reported should be better defined, aggression reporting encouraged and judgmental attitudes toward reports discouraged