Abstract
Background: Violence is well-documented in the nursing profession and is compounded by an increasing incidence of workplace violence towards nursing students. Poor clinical experiences where violence is witnessed or experienced have long-term consequences for both the student and the profession.
Aim: This study aimed to ascertain the perceptions of clinical facilitators regarding the impact of workplace violence on nursing students during their clinical placements.
Methods: Phenomenology-guided qualitative research methods were used in this study. Eleven clinical facilitators employed in various South Australian healthcare settings were interviewed, and the qualitative data were transcribed and thematically analysed manually, assisted by NVivo 12 software.
Results: Three major themes emerged from the data: Academic and future career impacts, Impact on personal life, and mental and physical health. Clinical facilitators described how baccalaureate nursing students feared for their emotional, psychological and physical safety, questioned their career choices and described the impact of violent experiences on their personal lives.
Conclusion: Clinical facilitators were often unable to prevent such experiences among nursing students and, at times, felt unprepared or inadequately supported by universities. A combined University and healthcare facility approach that prepares, manages, supports and reduces the incidence of workplace violence for nursing students and clinical facilitators is urgently required to safeguard the mental, physical and emotional health of student nurses and clinical facilitators.
Notes
References:
Dafny, H. A., & Beccaria, G. (2020). I do not even tell my partner: Nurses’ perceptions of verbal and physical violence against nurses working in a regional hospital. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(17-18), 3336-3348. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15362
Dafny, H. A., Beccaria, G., & Muller, A. (2021). Australian nurses' perceptions about workplace violence management, strategies and support services. Journal of Nursing Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13522
Dafny, H. A., Chamberlain, D., Parry, Y. K., & Beccaria, G. (2022). Do nurses receive any support following incidents of workplace violence? A qualitative study. Journal of Nursing Management.
Dafny, H. A., Champion, S., Pearson, V., & Brown, S. (2022). Nursing students’ experiences of workplace violence in clinical practice: a qualitative systematic review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 10.11124/JBIES-11122-00207. https://doi.org/10.11124/jbies-2200207
Dafny, H. A., McCloud, C., Pearson, V., Brown, S., Phillips, C., Waheed, N., Freeling, M., Parry, Y. K., & Champion, S. (2023). Nursing students’ experience of workplace violence in clinical practice: A qualitative systematic review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 32(17–18), 61366164. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16746
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Lead Author Affiliation
Adelaide University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Phenomenology
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Workforce, lncivility, Transition to Practice or Onboarding, Nursing Education, Nursing Students, Psychosocial Factors, Violence, Work Environment, Violence in the Workplace
Recommended Citation
Dafny, Hila A., "Clinical Facilitators Report the Impact of Workplace Violence on Nursing Students' Education" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 166.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/166
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-13
Clinical Facilitators Report the Impact of Workplace Violence on Nursing Students' Education
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: Violence is well-documented in the nursing profession and is compounded by an increasing incidence of workplace violence towards nursing students. Poor clinical experiences where violence is witnessed or experienced have long-term consequences for both the student and the profession.
Aim: This study aimed to ascertain the perceptions of clinical facilitators regarding the impact of workplace violence on nursing students during their clinical placements.
Methods: Phenomenology-guided qualitative research methods were used in this study. Eleven clinical facilitators employed in various South Australian healthcare settings were interviewed, and the qualitative data were transcribed and thematically analysed manually, assisted by NVivo 12 software.
Results: Three major themes emerged from the data: Academic and future career impacts, Impact on personal life, and mental and physical health. Clinical facilitators described how baccalaureate nursing students feared for their emotional, psychological and physical safety, questioned their career choices and described the impact of violent experiences on their personal lives.
Conclusion: Clinical facilitators were often unable to prevent such experiences among nursing students and, at times, felt unprepared or inadequately supported by universities. A combined University and healthcare facility approach that prepares, manages, supports and reduces the incidence of workplace violence for nursing students and clinical facilitators is urgently required to safeguard the mental, physical and emotional health of student nurses and clinical facilitators.
Description
This study explored clinical facilitators' views on how workplace violence affects nursing students during placements. Interviews with eleven facilitators revealed impacts on students' academic progress, career intentions, personal lives, and mental and physical health. Facilitators felt unable to prevent incidents and called for stronger joint support from universities and healthcare services.