DISPOSITIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING VULNERABILITY TO PERCEIVED WORKPLACE VIOLENCE AMONG NURSES IN ONDO AND OSUN STATES, NIGERIA

Abstract

Perceived workplace violence against nurses has become a major concern to scholars, occupational safety and health administrators. However, dispositional factors in nurses’ perception of workplace violence in Nigeria have not been sufficiently explored. This study therefore, examined dispositional factors predicting workplace violence among nurses in Ondo and Osun State, Nigeria. The study adopted the cross-sectional study across the study setting; four hundred and fifteen (415) nurses from 14 health centres consisting of primary, secondary and tertiary health centres were selected using multi-stage sampling technique. A structured questionnaire which focused on socio-demographic characteristics, perceived workplace violence (α = 0.91), trait anger (TA) (α = 0.67), negative affectivity (NA) (α = 0.96), self control (SC) (α = 0.83) was used. Data was analysed using multiple regression, one-way ANOVA, and independent t-test at p<.05 level of significance. The results reveal that the respondents’ average age was 39.89±12.12 years. Females (83.1%) constituted the larger percentage of the respondents. 64.8% were registered nurses (RN), 28.4% had Nursing degree, 3.4% had Masters’ degree and 2.4% had other qualifications. The nurse worked in the floor shifts (31.6%), critical care (22.9%), intensive care (18.3%) and the operating room (12%) units. Nurses’ trait anger (β = .15), negative affectivity (β = .13) organisational attribution style (β = .15) were significantly associated with frequent experience of perceived workplace violence. In conclusion, nursing staff dispositional traits and attribution styles makes them vulnerable to workplace violence.

Keywords

• workplace violence
• nurses
• perception
• dispositional traits