Work-related fear and the threats of fear among emergency department nursing staff and physicians in Finland.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To describe fear, the threats causing fear and the occurrence of fear among emergency department nursing staff and physicians.

BACKGROUND: The emergency department is a challenging workplace where the staff is often confronted by factors that cause fear.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional study.

METHODS: A survey was conducted in 16 hospitals (n = 544). Nurses, practical nurses, orderlies and physicians from those hospitals participated in the survey. The survey questionnaire was based on the analysis of interviews of 30 nurses from one university hospital and one central hospital. The results of the interviews were analysed using the inductive content analysis method. The analysis of the survey was performed using statistical methods, such as frequencies, cross-tabulation and principal component analysis.

RESULTS: The results showed that nearly all of the emergency department personnel had experienced work-related fear. Generally, the fear had been momentary. According to the survey results, fear was most often caused by medication errors, the resuscitation of a child, a catastrophic accident, urgent or violent situations or patients armed with weapons. Threats that caused fear included insecurity, danger in the work environment, threat of loss of one's health and threat of the consequences of one's mistakes and actions.

CONCLUSION: The staff of emergency departments often encountered factors or situations that caused fear. The main threats causing fear that were raised by the respondents were insecurity and danger in the work environment.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The data obtained from this study can be utilised in identifying and describing work-related fear and threats of fear among emergency department nursing staff and physicians. Based on the information herein, it will be possible to develop methods to prevent situations that cause fear in emergency departments.