Title:
Workplace Violence Against Doctors and Nurses in a Tertiary Hospital in Southern Nigeria

Authors:
Tamunokuro Diamond, Chibuike Eze Nwafor, Maxwell Ogomegbulam, Tuoyo Oburoh, Nigeria

Abstract:

Every workplace has some level of violence and out of all work environments, medical facilities have the highest risk of work place violence (WPV) against their employees. This study sought to determine the types, prevalence, and risk factors of workplace violence experienced by healthcare professionals in a tertiary hospital in southern Nigeria. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study on health care workers (HCWs) (doctors and nurses) in different departments of a tertiary hospital in Port Harcourt, Southern Nigeria. This study comprised 167 healthcare workers (HCWs), 50.9% were females, and 51.5% were aged between 31 and 40 years. The participants included 74.3% doctors and 25.2% nurses. Of the HCWs, 60.48% had experienced workplace violence (WPV) at some point in their career. Among these, 88.1% faced verbal violence, 18.8% faced physical violence, and 3% faced sexual violence. Most violence (60.4%) was perpetrated by patients' relatives, followed by patients (24.8%), senior colleagues (22.8%), and colleagues (2%). Regarding reporting, 45.5% of WPV victims did not disclose whether they reported the incidents, 32.3% did not report, and 22.1% did report their experiences. Of those who reported, 62.2% did so to individuals or bodies outside their department. Workplace violence is a common occurrence in healthcare, affecting employees of all ages. Many experience physical and non-physical assaults from patients, families, and colleagues, but fail to report incidents due to perceived futility or lack of attention. Inadequate regulations and reporting systems in Nigerian healthcare settings discourage reporting, even when perpetrators show remorse. Comprehensive strategies are needed to address and prevent workplace violence in healthcare.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.51505/ijmshr.2025.9407