A study on violence in health

The present mixed-methods research study was carried out in a public hospital in Malatya to examine the violence in the health sector, to reveal the prevalence of violence, and to determine whether the perception of violence changes according to the personal and demographic characteristics of the healthcare workers. In addition, it is also aimed to identify suggestions for reducing the problems of violence in the health sector with the help of stakeholder opinions. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square analysis were computed. Within the scope of the quantitative research, a questionnaire was applied to 334 healthcare workers selected by stratified sampling method from a public hospital operating in Malatya. As a result of the research, 60.5% of the participants stated that they have been a victim of violence at least once during their professional life. The most common type of violence is verbal/psychological violence (59.9%). Physicians (70.7%) and nurses (63.6%) were exposed to violence the most. Within the scope of qualitative research, data were gathered via semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was carried out to evaluate the data. In the interview form, there were four open-ended questions about violence in health prepared to be directed to the stakeholders. The participants saw lack of education and lack of awareness as the first cause of violence. 92.3% of the participants think that the cases of violence against healthcare workers have increased in recent years. Education is an important factor in preventing violence in health. It would be beneficial to apply deterrent penalties and legal sanctions. In addition, it is recommended to use written and visual media in this direction.