AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE TOWARDS MEDICAL DOCTORS AND NURSES IN A PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FACILITY IN LAHORE, PAKISTAN: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Objective: to examine the frequency, possible associated factors & consequences of workplace violence towards doctors and nurses in a public healthcare facility in Lahore, thereby providing a basis for appropriate intervention.
Methodology: We conducted a retrospective exploratory cross sectional study in a public sector hospital in Lahore, employing self-administered questionnaire to collect data on various aspects of workplace violence against doctors and nurses, in 12 months preceding the study. The sample covered 164 respondents (response rate 65.6 %). Suggestions for restricting future violent incidents were also sought. The data was analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 17.
Results: More than 2/3rd of the respondents (n=121/164, 73.8%) were the victims of violence in the preceding 12 months with verbal abuse (n=104/121, 86%) being the main aggression type encountered. Only 72/121 (59.5%) victims of violence reported the violence and majority of incidents (n=29/72, 40.3%) were reported to colleagues only. “No previous action” (73%) was the commonest reasons cited for not reporting the incidents. Workers exposed to violence & aggression, experienced high level of psychological distress. Most common assailants were patients’ relatives (n=86/121, 71%) followed by patient themselves (n=37/121, 30.5%). Overcrowding and lack of security were cited as the main reasons for such incidents.
Conclusion: Health care workers in public sector hospital setting in Lahore are frequently exposed to aggression and violence & it is associated with many adverse consequences including high level of stress. Appropriate preventive measures including occupational support are required to make hospitals safer environments.
Article Details
Work published in KMUJ is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online
(e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
References
Hahn S, Müller M, Needham I. Measuring patient and visitor violence in general hospitals: feasibility of the SOVES-G-R, internal consistency and construct validity of the POAS-S and the POIS. J Clin Nurs 2011;20:2519–30.
World health organization (WHO). World report on violence and health. Geneva: World Health organization, 2003.
World health organization. Youth violence. World report on violence and Health. Geneva: World Health organization 2002.
International labour organization (ILO). Framework guidelines for addressing workplace violence in the health sector. http://www.icn.ch/ proof3b.screen.pdf. (retrieved on 8th Feb 2013)
Rippon T. Aggression and violence in health care professions. J Adv Nurs 2000; 31:452-60.
Habermann M. Introductory remarks: violence in nursing– international perspectives. Violence in nursing International perspectives Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Habermann M, Uys L 2003; 13-27.
Merecz D, Ryamaszewska J, Mo-cicka A, Kiejna A, Jarosz Nowak J. Violence at workplace, a questionnaire survey of nurses. Eur Psychiatry 2006;21:442-450.
Deans C. Nurses and occupational violence: the role of organizational support in moderating professional competence. Aust J Adv Nurs 2004; 22:14-18.
Di Martino V. Relationship between work stress and workplace violence in the health sector. ILO Geneva 2002http://worktrauma.org/health/wv_stresspaper.pd
Adib SM, Al Shatti AK, Kamal S, El Gerges N, Al–Raqem M. Violence against healthcare facilities in Kuwait. Int J of Nurs stud 2002;39:469-78.
Privitera M, Weisman R, Cerulli C, Tu X, Groman A. Violence toward mental health staff and safety in the work environment. Occup Med 2005;55:480–86.
Chen WC, Hwu HGH, Kung SM, Chiu HJ, Wang JD. Prevalence and determinants of workplace violence of health care workers in a psychiatric hospital in Taiwan. J Occup Health 2008; 50:2888–93.
Ryan D, Maguire J. Aggression and violence - A problem in Irish Accident and Emergency departments? J Nurs Manag 2006 ;14(2):106-15.
Schablon A, Zeh A, Wendeler D. BMJ Open 2012;2: e001420. Doi :10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001420
Algwaiz WM, Alghanim SA. Violence exposure among healthcare professionals in Saudi public hospitals. A preliminary investigation. Saudi Med J 202;33(1):76-82.
Franz S, Zeh A, Schablon A, Kuhnert S, Nienhaus A. Aggression and violence against health care workers in Germany - a cross sectional retrospective survey. BMC Health Services Research 2010; 10:51.
Magnavita and Heponiemi: Violence towards health care workers in a Public Health Care Facility in Italy: a repeated cross-sectional study. BMC Health Services Research 2012 ;12:108.
Nijman H, Palmstierna T, Almvik R, Stolker J. Fifteen years of research with the Staff Observation Aggression Scale: a review. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2005; 111:12-21.
Abderhalden C, Needham I, Dassen T, Halfens R, Fischer J, Haug H. Frequency and severity of aggressive incidents in acute psychiatric wards in Switzerland. Clin Pract Epidemol Ment Health 2007; 3:30.
Winstanley S, Whittington R. Aggression towards health care staff in a UK general hospital: variation among professions and departments. J Clin Nurs 2004; 13:3-10.
International labor organization. Joint program launches new initiative against workplace violence in health sector. Press release 2002. Available at http://.ilo.org
International Labor Office, International Council of Nurses, World Health Organization, Public Services International. Workplace violence in the health sector 2002, [on line]. Available at: http://www.icn.org.
Occupational Safety and Health Organization. Guidelines for preventing violence for health care and social service workers.[on line]. US Department of Labor 1998, Available at: http://www.osha.gov.
Scott, H. The violent patient, part 1: ways to de‐escalate, when and how to restrain 2000, [on line]. Journal of Critical Illness. Available at: http:// www.findatricles.com.
Gerberich SG, Church TR, McGovern PM, Hansen HE, Nachreiner NM, Geisser MS, et al. An epidemiological study of the magnitude and consequences of work related violence: the Minnesota Nurses’ Study. Occup Environ Med 2004; 61:495–503.
Voyer P, Verreault R, Azizah G, Desrosiers J, Champoux N, Bèdard A. Prevalence of physical and verbal aggressive bahaviours and associated factors among older adults in long-term care facilities. BMC Geriatrics 2005; 5:1–13.
Estryn-Behar M, van der Heijden B, Camerino D, Fry C, Le Nezet O, Conway PM, Hasselhorn HM. Violence risk in nursing-results from the European “NEXT” study. Occup Med 2008; 58:107–14.
Zeh A, Schablon A, Wohlert C, Richter D, Nienhaus A. Violence and Aggression in Care-Related Jobs - A Literature Overview (Artikel in German) Gewalt und Aggression in Pflege- und Betreuungsberufen – Ein Literaturüberblick. Gesundheitwesen 2009; 71:449-59.
Imran N, Jawaid M, Haider II, Masood Z. Bullying of junior doctors in Pakistan: A cross-sectional survey. Singapore Med J 2010; 51(7) : 592-5.
Shiao J, Tseng Y: Hsieh Y-T, Hou J-H, Cheng Y. Guo Y L. Assaults against nurses of general and psychiatric hospitals in Taiwan. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2010; 83:823–32.