The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), the largest professional organization for psychiatric nurses, recognizes that violence in the workplace is a pressing occupational concern for all registered nurses and for psychiatric nurses in particular. To examine the scope of the problem and to identify solutions, the APNA chartered a Task Force on Workplace Violence in May 2007. Content experts conducted a comprehensive review of the literature focusing on the following practice areas: inpatient psychiatric settings, outpatient settings, emergency departments, nonpsychiatric areas such as home care, and academic environments. Workplace violence was broadly defined, including physical, sexual, and verbal threats and abuse from peers (i.e., horizontal violence) as well as consumers. Based on the findings, the task force developed recommendations for environmental safety, education, and research, both globally and specific to each setting.

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