Title : Rural nurses’ lived experience of workplace violence: Consequences and possibilities for change

Violence and aggression in healthcare is an escalating global concern, with nurses disproportionately affected by workplace violence (WPV). Although research has focused on high-risk areas such as emergency departments and psychiatric units, WPV is increasingly recognised in general medical and surgical wards. This trend is particularly concerning in rural hospitals, where limited resources and overlapping personal and professional relationships between staff and perpetrators amplify both risk and impact. These challenges occur within already fragile rural workforce contexts marked by recruitment and retention difficulties.

This study explored the lived experiences of nurses working in general wards across three rural Australian hospitals who had experienced WPV from patients or visitors. A descriptive phenomenological approach guided the study. Following ethics approval, participants were recruited to undertake face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Hospitals were purposively selected to reflect variation in size and socio-demographic context. Data were analysed within and across sites to identify shared patterns and context-specific influences relevant to prevention, incident management, and post-incident support.

Findings revealed that WPV was frequent and increasingly normalised within everyday practice. This normalisation eroded nurses’ sense of safety, contributed to moral distress, and undermined their ability to provide care aligned with professional values. Participants reported feeling underprepared to manage WPV and described inconsistent and often inadequate organisational responses. The rural context intensified these experiences, particularly through limited anonymity and ongoing community exposure to perpetrators.

These findings highlight the need for context-sensitive, place-based strategies that prioritise workforce preparation, consistent post-incident support, and organisational cultures that actively challenge the normalisation of violence. Addressing WPV in rural general wards is essential to supporting nurse wellbeing and sustaining the rural healthcare workforce.

Christine is a final-year PhD candidate and former Registered Nurse, with extensive leadership experience as CEO of multiple rural hospitals and aged care services. Her executive career highlighted the pervasive yet under-researched issue of workplace violence and aggression in rural general wards. Motivated by its psychosocial impact on nurses, consequences for patient care, and broader effects on health services, her research explores the unique challenges of workplace violence in rural hospital settings, with a focus on informing practical, context-sensitive strategies for prevention and support.