Perilous Work: Nursesʹ Experiences in Psychiatric Units with High Risks of Assault

Psychiatric facilities struggle to maintain therapeutic environments made increasingly difficult by severe nursing shortages. Related safety concerns prompted a phenomenological inquiry about nursesʹ experiences working in environments with high risks of assault. Ten registered nurses participated in open-ended interviews. Analysis of interview transcripts generated four categories and 13 subcategories subsumed under the primary construct of “perilous work,” providing the frame for the exhaustive description and essential structure of participantsʹ lived experiences. Outcomes suggest that serious work-related hazards exist and provide insight into possible remedies and a springboard for follow-up studies.