Workplace Violence Against The Doctors In A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital - A Facility- Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Workplace violence is highly prevalent worldwide in hospitals due to the nature of their services, which are deeply intertwined with the emotional experiences of patients and their families. This study sought to thoroughly assess the prevalence, characteristics, and related risk variables of workplace violence directed at doctors in India.

Method: A facility based cross-sectional study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital, involving 208 physicians who had a minimum experience of one year. A predesigned and structured questionnaire was used to collect data and analysed using SPSS software.

Results: According to the survey, 76.9% of participants had never been the victim of physical violence, 13.9% had been the victim once in a year, and 4.8% and 4.3% had been the victims once in six months and one month, respectively. Only 21.2% of participants did not experience verbal aggression, while 13% did once a year and 21.6% did once in six months. WPV was found to impact the physical and psychological well-being of the participants. Females were found to be more affected compared to male doctors. Statistical significance was observed between department specialization, type of hospital and gender.

Conclusion: Policymakers and healthcare providers must act quickly to prevent workplace violence. A safer workplace for healthcare personnel requires stronger security, antiviolence rules and comprehensive training.