<p>Violence Against Healthcare Workers at Primary Care Centers in Dammam and Al Khobar, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, 2019</p>

Abstract

Workplace violence is common throughout the world. It causes many serious problems in the healthcare sector, where it significantly impacts healthcare workers, the services provided, and organizations as a whole. However, few studies have investigated these issues in Saudi Arabia. This study examined the prevalence of violence against healthcare workers at primary care centers in Dammam and Al Khobar, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The study also assessed the types, perpetrators, perceived causes, and consequences related to such violence. Here, the aim was to understand how healthcare workers responded to violence and gauge their awareness of a reporting system. Patients and Methods: A total of 360 healthcare workers (180 each from primary care centers in Dammam and Al Khobar) were invited to complete structured, self-administered questionnaires. As such, this study employed a cross-sectional analytical design. Results: The prevalence of workplace violence among all participating health workers was 46.9%, with approximately 90% of these workers reporting verbal violence, 34.3% having been subject to intimidation, and 3% reporting physical violence. Approximately 75% reported that violent events were initiated by patients, while 45.6% reported that the events were initiated by patients' companions. Healthcare workers' reactions included reporting events to their supervisors or the police, but 46.7% said they did nothing; the most common reason was perceived inefficacy. Finally, only 36.4% of all participants were aware of a violence reporting system. Conclusion: This study showed that healthcare workers were commonly exposed to different forms of violence, but often either did not react to it or did not report it. Further, there was relatively little awareness of how to manage and report workplace violence, thus indicating the need for healthcare workers to receive relevant education and training. A national program should also be established to track and prevent workplace violence.

Verbal Abuse in the Operating Room: A Survey of Three General Hospitals in the Peloponnese Region

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“…Giving that verbal abuse by colleagues or patients is a reality in the health care environment [22,23], the purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of verbal violence in the operating room at three general hospitals in the Peloponnese region of Greece.…”

Workplace Violence Against Physicians Treating COVID-19 Patients in Peru: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…There is evidence of workplace violence (WPV) against health workers; mainly in hospitals 8 but also in primary care health services. 9 This is not an uncommon phenomenon, as shown by Liu et al 10 Violence against health workers is a complex problem, the motivations of which must be evaluated carefully. Some studies agree that the lack of punishment to the perpetrator and the lack of reporting procedures and policies are major factors.…”

“…Some studies agree that the lack of punishment to the perpetrator and the lack of reporting procedures and policies are major factors. 9 , 11 Overcrowding 9 and lack of understanding between patients and health personnel 12 , 13 have also been suggested as triggers.…”

Patient and visitor aggression de-escalation training for nurses in a teaching hospital in Cairo, Egypt

“…Previous literature showed that, WPV is a prevalent problem among HCPs worldwide, developed as well as developing countries [ 4 – 7 ]. Previous literature showed that, WPV is a prevalent problem among HCPs in Arab countries as well [ 8 – 12 ]. In Egypt, previous studies showed that WPV is a major problem against HCPs in hospitals [ 13 – 17 ].…”