“Prevalence and Source of Various Types of Workplace Violence among Healthcare Professionals in the Public Hospitals of Karachi” A Cross-Sectional Survey

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of violence among medical doctors in public sector hospitals of Karachi relating to physical violence, psychological violence (verbal and bullying/mobbing), sexual harassment and racial harassment). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in three public sector hospitals in Karachi (JPMC, Civil Hospital and Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital Karachi). Medical doctors of any age and gender who worked in outpatient departments, wards, and emergency departments were eligible to participate in the study. A validated WHO-designed questionnaire was used, with questions about exposure to violence, the source and types of violence, and socio-demographic information. In descriptive statistics, frequencies and percentages were reported for all categorical variables. The Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to investigate the relationship between workplace violence and other types of violence. Results: 350 questionnaires were distributed to qualified medical doctors in total. Only 300 of them responded, for an 85.7 percent response rate. The majority of respondents were under the age of 40, and male gender was slightly more exposed to violence. The majority of the doctors were subjected to verbal abuse as well as bullying and mobbing. Conclusion: It was then concluded that any type of violence was common in doctors aged >35 years and male gender was more exposed to any violence as compare to female gander. The main type of violence was verbal violence in our study, whereas racial harassment and sexual harassment was also seen.

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Workplace violence toward resident doctors in public hospitals of Syria: prevalence, psychological impact, and prevention strategies: a cross-sectional study

Human Resources for Health ◽

10.1186/s12960-020-00548-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Okbah Mohamad ◽

Naseem AlKhoury ◽

Mohammad-Nasan Abdul-Baki ◽

Marah Alsalkini ◽

Rafea Shaaban

Keyword(s):

Sleep Quality ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Physical Violence ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Public Hospitals ◽

Psychological Status ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Subjective Sleep Quality ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract Introduction Workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare workers is a common and daily problem in hospitals worldwide. Studies in different countries indicated that exposure to WPV potentially impacts the psychological status of healthcare workers. However, there is a paucity of studies approaching this issue in the Syrian healthcare system. Objectives This study had three objectives: (1) to estimate the prevalence of violence against resident doctors in Syria, (2) to examine the association between WPV and resident doctors’ psychological stress, sleep quality, depression, and general health and (3) to suggest approaches to tackle this problem from the resident doctors' perspectives. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 8 out of 14 provinces, and covered 17 out of 56 accessible functioning hospitals in Syria. Data were collected using anonymous, self-administered questionnaires during February 2020. A total of 1226 resident doctors volunteered to participate in the study. Finally, 1127 valid questionnaires were used in the final data analysis. The overall response rate was 91.92%. Results A total of 955 participants (84.74%) reported exposure to WPV in the 12 months prior to the study. In specific, 84.74% exposed to verbal violence and 19.08% to physical violence. Patients’ associates were the predominant aggressors in both verbal and physical violence (n = 856; 89.63%, n = 178; 82.79%, respectively). Most resident doctors (87.31%) suggested enacting more legislation to protect doctors as the best solution to reduce WPV. Verbal and physical violence showed a significant positive correlation with each item of depression and stress, and a significant negative correlation with both subjective sleep quality and subjective health. Conclusion Workplace violence against resident doctors in Syria is highly common. Therefore, policymakers, hospital managers, and supervisors should work collaboratively in order to minimize WPV and ensure resident doctors’ safety and psychophysical stability.

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Perceived workplace violence reported by nurses enrolled in B.Sc Nursing degree programme at KIU, Sri Lanka

International Journal of KIU ◽

10.37966/ijkiu2021022015 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 57-63

Author(s):

I Ali ◽

H Shaheedha ◽

J Ahmed ◽

A Irufa ◽

S Ibrahim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Physical Violence ◽

Violent Behavior ◽

Physical Assault ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Degree Programme ◽

Racial Harassment ◽

Verbal Violence

Background: Workplace violence (WPV) can be defined as a violent act directed towards workers, including physical assault, threat of assault and verbal abuse and it is widely recognized as having far-reaching consequences for workers’ health and safety. Nurses are the most vulnerable group for WPV. In recent years WPV against nurses has significantly increased, becoming a nationwide phenomenon across the hospital settings. Furthermore, it can impact the quality of patient care and reduce the efficiency and quality of the entire health system. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the perceived workplace violence reported by nurses enrolled in the B.Sc Nursing degree programme at KIU, Sri Lanka. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 306 undergraduate nurses in KIU. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data which consisted of demographic information, the prevalence of WPV and factors associated with WPV. Data analysis was done with descriptive statistics and chi-square test using SPSS version 23. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of KIU (KIU/ERC/20/05). Results: The majority of participants were females (97.4%, n=298), aged between 20-30 years (61.4%, n=188) and had working experience of <5 years (63.7%, n=195). The prevalence of workplace violence was 75.5%, n=231. The commonest type of reported violence was verbal violence (87.8%, n=203) followed by emotional violence (65%, n=150), physical violence (15%, n=35), sexual violence (3.8%, n=9) and racial harassment (2.1%, n=5). Medical and Surgical wards (39.6%, n=91) were the most frequent working areas where nurses faced violent behavior. The perpetrators were found to be supervisors (73.1%, n=168), patients’ relatives (53.2%, n=122), and patients (52.3%, n=120). The working unit of the nurses (p< 0.001), designation (p<0.001), number of night duties per month (p=0.019), and ability to access the ward without permission (p=0.042) were significantly associated with WPV among nurses. Conclusion: The study concluded that the prevalence of WPV was high among nurses while verbal violence from nursing supervisors was the most common WPV. Therefore, it is mandatory to place appropriate measures to prevent the WPV among nurses.

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Workplace violence against healthcare professionals in a multiethnic area: a cross-sectional study in southwest China

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037464 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. e037464

Author(s):

Haonan Jia ◽

Huiying Fang ◽

Ruohui Chen ◽

Mingli Jiao ◽

Lifeng Wei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ethnic Minority ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Minority Groups ◽

Physical Violence ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Security Measures ◽

Psychological Violence ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to examine workplace violence (WPV) towards healthcare professionals in a multiethnic area in China, including prevalence, influencing factors, healthcare professionals’ response to WPV, expected antiviolence training measures and content, and evaluation of WPV interventions.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingA grade III, class A hospital in the capital of Yunnan Province, which is the province with the most diverse ethnic minority groups in China.ParticipantsIn total, 2036 healthcare professionals participated, with a response rate of 83.79%.ResultsThe prevalence of physical and psychological violence was 5.5% and 43.7%, respectively. Healthcare professionals of ethnic minority were more likely to experience psychological violence (OR=1.54, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.05). Stratified by gender, male healthcare professionals of ethnic minority suffered from more physical violence (OR=3.31, 95% CI 1.12 to 9.79), while female healthcare professionals suffered from psychological violence (OR=1.71, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.36). We also found a unique work situation in China: overtime duty on-call work (18:00–07:00) was a risk factor for psychological violence (OR=1.40, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.93). Healthcare professionals of ethnic minority are less likely to order perpetrators to stop or to report to superiors when faced with psychological violence. They are also more interested in receiving training in force skills and self-defence. Both Han and ethnic minority participants considered security measures as the most useful intervention, while changing the time of shift the most useless one.ConclusionOur study comprehensively described WPV towards healthcare professionals in a multiethnic minority area. More research on WPV conducted in multiethnic areas is needed.

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Global Prevalence of Workplace Violence Against Paramedics: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Health in Emergencies & Disasters Quarterly ◽

10.32598/hdq.6.4.259.3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 205-216

Author(s):

Hamidreza Shabanikiya ◽

◽

Fatemeh Kokabisaghi ◽

Morteza Mojtabaeian ◽

Tara Sahebi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Harassment ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Service Providers ◽

Physical Violence ◽

Prehospital Care ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Group Analysis ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Verbal Violence ◽

Meta Analyses

Background: Violence is increasing in societies and workplaces around the world. This study aimed to review the literature on violence against paramedics in the prehospital setting and estimate the related exposure rates and types. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted based on the guidelines of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The literature on the prevalence of workplace violence against paramedics published from January 1990 to September 2019 was searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, and Embase databases. The prevalence of violence was measured by using the random-effects model in Stata software. Sub-group analysis and meta-regression models were applied to explain the sources of heterogeneities. Results: The prevalence of overall violence, physical violence, verbal violence, and sexual harassment among study subjects were calculated to be 0.66 (95% CI CI: 0.20-1.11), 0.25 (CI: 0.16- 0.34), 0.58 (CI: 0.29-0.86) and 0.16 (CI: 0.09-0.22), respectively. There was no significant difference between male and female paramedics in terms of violence types. However, the prevalence of sexual harassment among women was higher than men (24% vs. 6%). The highest rate of physical violence and sexual harassment belonged to Europe and North America, while they had the lowest verbal violence. Asia and Australia had the lowest rate of physical violence and sexual harassment. Conclusion: Prehospital emergency service providers face a higher risk of potential exposure to violence in health care settings. This issue necessitates the special attention of prehospital care administrators to reduce the risk and related consequences of workplace violence by taking effective measures.

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Workplace Violence in Social Care Settings: Traumatic Stress and Burnout in Staff

DBS Business Review ◽

10.22375/dbr.v3i0.62 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Dowling ◽

Prakashini Banka

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Stress ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Social Care ◽

Physical Violence ◽

Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Demographic Questionnaire ◽

Care Workers ◽

Positive Correlations ◽

Quantitative Correlational Study

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between frequency of exposure to physical violence/aggression and traumatic stress and burnout in social care workers (SCWs). One hundred SCWs were surveyed using non-experimental, cross-sectional, quantitative correlational study design with three questionnaires: Demographic Questionnaire, Revised Impact of Events Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Responses were analysed using SPSS quantitative software and utilised descriptive statistics, and non-parametric correlational tests. Results indicated statistically significant positive relationships between the frequency of exposure to physical aggression/violence and traumatic stress and burnout measures. Results also indicated significant positive correlations between traumatic stress and burnout. Furthermore, exposure to workplace violence/aggression, traumatic stress, and burnout also positively correlated with SCWs desire to leave the profession in the next five years. Finally, results indicated a significant relationship between frequency of self-care and levels of traumatic stress and burnout subscales in SCWs.)

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Workplace Violence Against Healthcare Professionals in Thai Tertiary Hospitals

10.21203/rs.3.rs-910003/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sophida Kueanongkhun ◽

Siriwan Grisurapong ◽

Kitirat Techatraisak ◽

Thomas E. Guadamuz

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Physical Violence ◽

Chi Square ◽

Racial Harassment ◽

Tertiary Hospitals ◽

Chi Square Test

Abstract Background: Thailand lacks evidence of the current prevalence of workplace violence (WPV) at tertiary hospitals. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of, perpetrators of, and factors associated with WPV against healthcare workers in excellent tertiary hospitals in Thailand.Methods: This was a mixed-methods study. A questionnaire was individually administered by an interviewer to 220 healthcare workers using a tablet with an online platforms, and the completion rate was 100%. The study was conducted from July 2018 to March 2019. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to examine the variables related to any violence according to individual and work data. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to assess risk factors for exposure to violence using a logistic regression model. Thirty participants provided additional qualitative data that were used for thematic analysis.Results: The findings revealed that in the past 12 months, 63.6% of the participants experienced violence at their workplaces. The most common type of violence reported was verbal violence (56.4%), followed by physical violence (24.1%), bullying (16.4%), sexual harassment (4.1%), and racial harassment (3.6%). Multivariable logistic regression revealed that the correlates of violence at hospitals included being male (OR = 4.28, 95% CI 1.50–12.19), working in an outpatient department (OR = 2.55, 95% CI 1.42–4.58), and having direct contact with clients (OR = 3.12, 95% CI 1.25–7.73). The qualitative data revealed 5 major themes.Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of violence against all healthcare workers at excellent tertiary hospitals in Thailand. Policymakers need to be aware of the roots and risk factors for all types of WPV. The results could also contribute to the development of appropriate policies, interventions for conflicts based on intergenerational gaps, reporting, investigation processes, preventive measures, and zero-tolerance protocols for all healthcare workers.

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Gender differences in reporting workplace violence: a qualitative analysis of administrative records of violent episodes experienced by healthcare workers in a large public Italian hospital

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031546 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. e031546 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Daniela Acquadro Maran ◽

Claudio Giovanni Cortese ◽

Pierluigi Pavanelli ◽

Giulio Fornero ◽

Maria Michela Gianino

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Qualitative Analysis ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Work Experience ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Physical Violence ◽

Point Of View ◽

Medical Doctors ◽

Administrative Records ◽

Italian Hospital

ObjectivesThis study aims to analyse, from a descriptive and qualitative point of view, the episodes of violence reported by healthcare workers (HCWs) in a large public Italian hospital. Qualitative analysis permits us to collect the victims’ words used to describe the event and the ways in which they dealt with it. A comparison between genders was performed to better understand what type of different strategies could be used to improve the prevention of workplace violence for HCWs.Design and settingThe retrospective observational study was carried out in ‘Città della Salute e della Scienza’, a complex of four interconnected hospitals situated in Northern Italy. This study analysed aggression data from the 4-year period of 2015–2018 that included all HCW categories. The data were obtained from the aggression reporting form.ParticipantsThe analysed records were supplied by 396 HCWs (3.6% of all HCWs in the hospital).ResultsMale HCWs aged <30 years did not report violent episodes that occurred in the workplace, while male HCWs with 6–15 years of work experience reported more violent episodes than their female counterparts. Among the HCW professions, nursing was the profession, in which HCWs were more prone to experience a violent episode, while male medical doctors were more prone to report violent episodes than female medical doctors. Moreover, female HCWs experienced more verbal violence (insults) than male HCWs did, while male HCWs experienced more physical violence (bodily contact) than female HCWs did.ConclusionsThe findings from this explorative study suggest that there is a gender difference in the characteristics of workplace violence perpetrated by patients, patients’ relatives and visitors and in the way in which these episodes are described. Consequently, it is important for informative and preventive courses to consider gender differences in experiencing a violent episode.

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Workplace violence against physicians and medical students in west part of Iran

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare ◽

10.1108/ijhrh-07-2018-0049 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 116-123 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Abdorrahim Afkhamzadeh ◽

Amjad Mohamadi Bolbanabad ◽

Bayan Moloudi ◽

Hossein Safari ◽

Bakhtiar Piroozi

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Medical Students ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Physical Violence ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Verbal Abuse ◽

Teaching Hospitals ◽

Related Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to survey the prevalence of exposure to workplace violence (WPV) including physical violence, verbal abuse, bullying as well as its related factors among physicians and medical students attending teaching hospitals of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences (KUMS). Design/methodology/approach This is a descriptive analytic as well as a cross-sectional study which was carried out on all physicians (general and specialists) and medical students attending teaching hospitals of KUMS in 2014. Overall, 400 participated in this study and data were gathered using a standard questionnaire. Then, data were analyzed using SPSS 20, χ2 and Fisher’s exact tests as well as univariate and adjusted logistic regression. Findings The prevalence of physical violence, verbal abuse and bullying among medical students was reported 4.5, 59 and 0.8 percent, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of these violence among general practitioners was 6.9, 72.4 and 0 percent, respectively. Moreover, 11.5, 42.3 and 3.8 percent of specialists had experienced physical violence, verbal abuse and bullying, respectively. Patients and their relatives were the main sources of the violence. Based on the results of multivariate logistic regression, male sex (AOR=2.60, CI: 1.56–4.32) and having shift work (AOR=3.13, CI: 1.67–5.84) were the most significant risk factors for total WPV. Originality/value The WPV experienced by physicians and medical students attending teaching hospitals of MUK is high. Health sector authorities should develop and implement proper strategies and interventions aiming at reducing or preventing from incidence of WPV.

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Associations between Teacher- and Student-directed Sexual and Physical Violence in Physical Education

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260520959640 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 088626052095964

Author(s):

Arto Gråstén ◽

Marja Kokkonen

Keyword(s):

Physical Education ◽

Sexual Harassment ◽

Online Survey ◽

Physical Violence ◽

Experienced Teachers ◽

Positive Development ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Student Relationships ◽

Fall Semester ◽

Teachers Perceptions

This study examined relationships between teachers’ perceptions of verbal and non-verbal sexual harassment and physical violence against teachers and among students in physical education (PE). Participants were 175 (females 122, males 53) Finnish PE teachers between 27 and 62 years ( M = 44.8 ± 9.2 years). The cross-sectional data were collected by an anonymous online survey in the fall semester 2018. The findings showed that (a) higher levels of verbal sexual harassment and physical violence among students were associated with higher levels of equivalent types of violence against PE teachers, (b) higher levels of verbal and non-verbal sexual harassment among students were associated with higher levels of physical assaults among students, whereas only non-verbal sexual harassment was associated with physical violence against teachers, and (c) verbal sexual harassment and physical violence among students occurred more frequently in PE classes instructed by less experienced teachers. The results indicated that to prevent both teacher- and student-directed verbal sexual harassment and physical violence in school PE, special attention could be given to the positive development of student–student relationships.

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Relationships between nurses’ experiences of workplace violence, emotional exhaustion and patient safety

Journal of Research in Nursing ◽

10.1177/1744987120960200 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 174498712096020

Author(s):

Sinhye Kim ◽

Celeste Mayer ◽

Cheryl B Jones

Keyword(s):

Patient Safety ◽

Emotional Exhaustion ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Physical Violence ◽

Patient Safety Culture ◽

Healthcare Research ◽

Verbal Abuse ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Academic Medical Centre ◽

Safety Perceptions

Background The rising rate of workplace violence in hospitals is a serious concern. While leading organisations recommend implementing interventions to address workplace violence, little is known about the workplace violence relationship between patients and visitors, and how it affects nurses’ emotional exhaustion and their perceptions of patient safety. Aims The study’s purpose was to understand the status of workplace violence in hospitals and the relationships between nurses’ experiences of workplace violence, emotional exhaustion, and perceptions of patient safety. Methods This cross-sectional analysis used data from a survey conducted at a large academic medical centre using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture plus additional measures of workplace violence and emotional exhaustion. Results Nurses reported more occurrences of verbal violence than physical violence. Nurses’ experiences of workplace violence negatively affect nurses’ emotional exhaustion and patient-safety perceptions. Moreover, nurses’ emotional exhaustion mediated the relationship between verbal abuse and patient-safety perceptions. Conclusions Interventions to reduce nurses’ emotional exhaustion and strengthen resilience can mitigate the negative effects of verbal abuse and to some extent the effects of physical violence.

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