International Journal of Health Services Research and Policy (Jan 2016)

VIOLENCE AGAINST HEALTH CARE WORKERS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

  • Hacer ATAMAN,
  • Gökhan ABA

DOI
https://doi.org/10.23884/ijhsrp.2016.1.1.03
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 1
pp. 20 – 29

Abstract

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As violence in society is increasing in recent years it is an important problem in health institutions as well. Changes in health systems, rising socio-economic levels of people, and changes in expectations for health services led to violence in health sector. This study was conducted for the purpose of examining work place violence against health care workers. This retrospective-descriptive study covers a period from December 2011 to April 2015. 136 notifications about work place violence reported by health workers to quality management unit of a hospital were taken into account. Research findings show that 43,4% of the victims of violence was physicians, 37,5% was nurses and health officers and 19,1% were from other professions. 63,2% of the health workers were women, 36,8% were male. Additionally health workers were exposed to violence by 47.3% of the patients and 52.7% by their relatives. 69.7% of the people applied violence were male and 30.3% were female. 63,2% of the health workers exposed to violence were women, 36,8% were male. According to our results male physicians were exposed to workplace violence more than other workers and this was significant ( χ 2=31,634, p<0,01). When place of violence occurred was investigated it was seen that while most of physicians were exposed to violence in polyclinics, nurses were exposed to violence in inpatient services (χ2=18,231, p<0,01). Male physicians were exposed to verbal violence most. On the other hand nurses experienced both verbal and physical violence (χ2=34,639,p<0.01). Patient relatives applied verbal violence and the others applied physical violence (χ2=22,073, p<0,01). As a result, in order to reduce / prevent violence in work place , it is considered necessary to increase consciousness of patients and their relatives, to increase security measures in health institutions, to provide health workers to report work place violence to management , to improve physical working conditions and increase legal sanctions in terms of providing employee safety.

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