Evaluation of the frequency and determinants of workplace violence against healthcare workers in a Medical Faculty Hospital: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and determinants of workplace violence against healthcare workers in a medical faculty hospital. MATERİALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. It was conducted with a questionnaire between March and April 2023. In the questionnaire, questions were asked about participant characteristics and the type of violence experienced. RESULTS: A total of 950 people participated in the study. In the workplace, 96.3% of the participants were subjected to verbal violence, 20.3% to physical violence, 77.8% to psychological violence, and 4% to sexual violence. The most frequent perpetrators of violence are relatives of patients and men. A total of 950 people participated in the study. The most common place of exposure to violence is the ward and working hours are daytime shifts. The most common cause of violence is inappropriate requests by patients/relatives. Physicians were significantly (p=0.33) more exposed to verbal violence than nurses. Female healthcare workers were exposed to verbal violence significantly (p=0.41) more than male healthcare workers. The assistant health personnel were exposed to physical violence significantly more than physicians (p<0.001). Male healthcare workers were exposed to physical violence significantly more than female healthcare workers (p<0.001). The assistant health personnel were exposed to physical violence significantly more than physicians (p<0.001). Male healthcare workers were exposed to physical violence significantly more than female healthcare workers (p<0.001). Participants working in the emergency department were significantly more exposed to physical violence than the others (p=0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Almost all of the participants have been subjected to violence at least once during their professional life. The most common type of violence is verbal violence, and healthcare workers are most frequently subjected to violence by patients' relatives. KEYWORDS: violence, health, profession, patient