Nine hundred deaths and 1.7 million nonfatal assaults occur each year in the United States due to workplace violence. These numbers represent only the most serious physical violent incidents; the extent to which all types of violence are experienced in the workplace remains unknown. Workplace violence is a serious concern for emergency nurses. Due to under-reporting, the occurrence of physical violence and verbal abuse toward emergency nurses remains not well understood. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the actual extent of violence and aggression toward emergency nurses. Launched in May 2009, the Emergency Department Violence Surveillance (EDVS) Study collects ongoing objective data allows for tracking changes related to violence toward emergency nurses as well as the processes used to respond to violence. Specifically, the EDVS Study was established to investigate:
-The extent of the occurrence of various types of workplace violence toward emergency nurses from patients and visitors on any given day.
-The extent of under-reporting of workplace violence toward emergency nurses from patients and visitors.
-The current reporting mechanisms, if any, for violence toward emergency nurses.
-The current processes, if any, used to respond to violence toward emergency nurses.
-Trends in violence toward emergency nurses over time.