Workplace violence types in family health, offenders, reactions, and problems experienced

Evaluation of violence against primary care healthcare professionals through different dimensions

BACKGROUND

Violence is common in emergency departments and is also increasing in primary care settings. It is important to research the factors that cause violence to prevent incidents.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to determine the frequency, causes, and effects of violence in the workplace of primary care physicians in a province in Turkey.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 303 family physicians working in Family Health Centers. The subjects completed a questionnaire consisting of questions designed to elicit healthcare professionals' perspectives on violence. The analysis was performed using SPSS 15.0 software, with p < 0.05 considered significant.

RESULTS

The participants' mean age was 48.05±6.11. The majority (82%) stated that they had been subjected to violence throughout their professional life. Although the rate of exposure to violence was 56.4% in the previous year, they did not report these incidents to the appropriate authorities. The main reason for failing to report violent acts was "not caring" (40.1%). Respondents who believed "violent incidents should be reported" were under 50 years old (p = 0.045). The impact of violence on their lives was expressed as "losing interest in their profession" (40.8%). The most commonly cited cause of violence was "educational problems" (74.9%).

CONCLUSION

Violence is prevalent in primary healthcare settings. It is suggested that there can be numerous reasons for violence, primarily a lack of education, and its effects, such as professional disengagement, are notable. Measures should be implemented to provide physicians with safe working conditions and reduce the risk of violence.

Contemporary evidence of workplace violence against the primary healthcare workforce worldwide: a systematic review

Violence against healthcare workers recently became a growing public health concern and has been intensively investigated, particularly in the tertiary setting. Nevertheless, little is known of workplace violence against healthcare workers in the primary setting. Given the nature of primary healthcare, which delivers essential healthcare services to the community, many primary healthcare workers are vulnerable to violent events. Since the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978, the number of epidemiological studies on workplace violence against primary healthcare workers has increased globally. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review summarising the significant results from previous studies has not been published. Thus, this systematic review was conducted to collect and analyse recent evidence from previous workplace violence studies in primary healthcare settings. Eligible articles published in 2013-2023 were searched from the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed literature databases. Of 23 included studies, 16 were quantitative, four were qualitative, and three were mixed method. The extracted information was analysed and grouped into four main themes: prevalence and typology, predisposing factors, implications, and coping mechanisms or preventive measures. The prevalence of violence ranged from 45.6% to 90%. The most commonly reported form of violence was verbal abuse (46.9-90.3%), while the least commonly reported was sexual assault (2-17%). Most primary healthcare workers were at higher risk of patient- and family-perpetrated violence (Type II). Three sub-themes of predisposing factors were identified: individual factors (victims' and perpetrators' characteristics), community or geographical factors, and workplace factors. There were considerable negative consequences of violence on both the victims and organisations. Under-reporting remained the key issue, which was mainly due to the negative perception of the effectiveness of existing workplace policies for managing violence. Workplace violence is a complex issue that indicates a need for more serious consideration of a resolution on par with that in other healthcare settings. Several research gaps and limitations require additional rigorous analytical and interventional research. Information pertaining to violent events must be comprehensively collected to delineate the complete scope of the issue and formulate prevention strategies based on potentially modifiable risk factors to minimise the negative implications caused by workplace violence.

Violence in the Nursing Workplace in the Context of Primary Health Care: A Qualitative Study

Violence demands considerable attention due to its complexity and social consequences. The objective of this study was to analyze violence in the nursing professional workplace in the context of primary health care in Brazil. It is a qualitative study with theoretical and methodological reference to institutional analysis. It was carried out in basic health units in Brazil. Nursing professionals (N = 11) participated in semi-structured interviews and discussion groups, in addition to a research diary and participant observation. Data collection took place from October to December 2021. The results are presented in five categories: types of violence and aggressors from the perspective of nursing professionals; the causes of violence reported by professionals; strategies for the management of violence; professionals' proposals for preventing violence in health contexts; the consequences of violence in the workplace. Nursing professionals make up a large part of the workforce and have reported verbal, physical, moral, and psychological violence. The main causes are associated with user access to services. For the prevention of violence, professionals do not see themselves as protagonists of change. The consequences are the loss of quality of work and the health of professionals who requested sick leave and transfers. The study's findings can help in the development of public policies and educational and management actions.

Violence against nursing workers: repercussions on patient access and safety

ABSTRACT Objectives: to analyze the repercussions of violence against nursing professionals, in the access and safety of patients in Family Health Strategy. Methods: a mixed study, with 169 nursing professionals. We used a socio-labor questionnaire, Survey Questionnaire Workplace Violence in the Health Sector, a patient safety instrument and interviews. Results: verbal aggression was related to support (p=0.048), respect (p=0.021), hours of care (p=0.047) and patient safety behaviors (p=0.033) among professionals. Suffering from bullying was related to fear of questioning when something is wrong (p=0.010) and lack of support from management (p=0.016). Victims of physical violence felt that their mistakes could be used against them. Mixed data converge and confirm that violence affects professional behavior and puts Primary Health Care attributes at risk. Conclusions: violence affects workers’ behavior, interferes with the care provided, weakens the access and safety of patients.

Violência contra o trabalhador de enfermagem: repercussões no acesso e segurança do paciente

RESUMO Objetivos: analisar as repercussões da violência contra o profissional de enfermagem no acesso e na segurança dos pacientes da Estratégia Saúde da Família. Métodos: estudo misto, com 169 profissionais de enfermagem. Utilizamos questionário sociolaboral, Survey Questionnaire Workplace Violence in the Health Sector, instrumento de segurança do paciente e entrevistas. Resultados: agressão verbal teve relação entre apoio (p=0,048), respeito (p=0,021), horas de cuidado (p=0,047) e condutas de segurança do paciente (p=0,033) entre os profissionais. Sofrer assédio moral relacionou-se ao medo de questionar quando algo está incorreto (p=0,010) e à falta de apoio da gestão (p=0,016). Vítimas de violência física consideraram que seus erros podem ser usados contra elas. Os dados mistos convergem e confirmam que a violência repercute nas condutas profissionais e coloca em risco atributos da Atenção Primária à Saúde. Conclusões: a violência repercute no comportamento do trabalhador, interfere no cuidado realizado, fragiliza o acesso e a segurança dos pacientes.