Rules of engagement: The role of mistreatment from patients in the nurse, physician and advanced practice provider experience
The objective of this study is to examine the incidence of reported stress due to mistreatment by patients toward clinicians and the role of mistreatment from patients along with organizational factors in clinician distress. A survey of clinicians was conducted at a large academic medical center, resulting in a final analytic sample of 1,682 physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers and clinical support staff. Nurses reported the greatest incidence of mistreatment by patients as a major stressor (18.69%), followed by Advanced Practice Providers (11.26%), Clinical Support Staff (10.36%), and Physicians (7.69%). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship of individual- and organization-level characteristics with the odds of reporting mistreatment from patients as a major stressor. Overall findings indicate that nurses and those who work in the ER and ambulatory or outpatient clinics were more likely to be stressed from mistreatment by patients than other clinicians. Stress due to mistreatment by patients was also associated with higher Well-Being Index (WBI) distress scores, rapid changes in workflows or policies, ongoing care of COVID-19 patients, under-staffing, and low perceived organizational support. Gender or sexual minorities (not identifying as male or female) and younger (18-34 years of age) healthcare workers were also more likely to experience stress from mistreatment by patients. Individual resilience was not statistically significantly associated with reported stress from mistreatment by patients. Organizations must examine expectations for patient and visitor behavior in tandem with service standards for clinicians toward patients.
Related content
-
Environment & Hospitality | Staff & Provider Engagement
Patient Experience Coaching in Ambulatory Care
Sharing is caring. Read how Marshfield Clinic Health System improved patient experience in its medical offices through observation and coaching of care teams. Learn how Patient Experience Coaches, a novel concept in ambulatory care settings, followed the patient journey through their clinics and identified improvement areas that focus on retention and recruitment of ambulatory care
Learn more -
Culture & Leadership | Policy & Measurement | Staff & Provider Engagement
Effectively Leveraging Patient Comments for Strategic Improvement
During this webinar, Children’s Mercy Kansas City shares results from a year-long case study on the meaningful integration of patient comments and the precise analytics derived from those comments into the strategic improvement planning efforts of an emergency department. The presentation will highlight how this process can foster a culture of human-centered patient and family
Learn more -
Patient Family & Community Engagement | Staff & Provider Engagement
Standing Up for the Workforce: Seven Considerations for Patients and Families
In today’s challenging healthcare environment, healthcare workers often face incivility and physical violence that threaten their safety and well-being. “Standing Up for the Workforce” offers seven actions that patients and families can take to address this reality. Presented by a member of the Global Patient and Family Advisory Board, this learning bite calls on us
Learn more