ER Nurse Abuse Rampant, Study Says

More than half of emergency room nurses have been abused while at work. The finding is based on a 69-question survey of 3,000 nurses conducted by the Emergency Nurses Association, the USA Today reports.

The nurses said they had been both physically and verbally abused, causing one in three nurses to consider leaving their department.

The high levels of abuse are attributed to the fact that emergency rooms take all patients, regardless of mental health or intoxication, says Bill Briggs, president of the Emergency Nurses Association. The USA Today also reports that a shortage of nurses, long wait times and patient overcrowding contributes to the abuse.

"Most people enter the profession to help people, not to get beat up and not to see your co-workers get beat up," Briggs said.

Laws protecting emergency room nurses vary from state to state, with some states lacking laws entirely. The Emergency Nurses Association is working to make protection laws mandatory for every state.