Survey of violence against psychiatric ward staff and the related factors factors

Abstract

Aim and Background: The incidence of aggression against nursing staff in psychiatry is a major challenge and the destructive dimension of this phenomenon affects the nurses and management of these hospitals. The present study was conducted to determine the status of aggression against nursing staff in psychiatry and related factors in Isfahan. Methods and Materials: This was a retrospective descriptive-analytic study. The study population consisted of nursing staff working in psychiatric wards of Isfahan teaching hospitals. Data gathering tool was the violence at the workplace questionnaire. The results were analyzed using chi-square test and in SPSS.22. Findings: Results showed that aggression towards nursing staff was verbal (95.5%), physical (79.7%) and bullying (34.7%). There was a significant relationship between shift work, staffing and physical violence (p<0.05). Also, there was a significant relationship between night work and physical violence (p<0.05). People with schizophrenia had the highest rate of physical violence. Regarding the area of activity, the highest incidence of physical violence was in the acute psychiatric ward, which was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results showed that verbal, physical and bullying violence against male nurses was more than female nurses. Therefore, in order to minimize the violence in the hospital environment, planning, organizing, preventive strategies, proper management, appropriate protective measures and training should be considered.

Keywords

• psychiatric wards
• physical assault
• violence
• health employee.