ABSTRACT
Background: Workplace violence is a global concern with significant consequences, transcending occupational types and geographical regions. This issue particularly affects healthcare professionals, including physicians and nurses, who face increased vulnerability due to their direct contact with people.
Aim: To determine the prevalence, patterns, perception and determinants of workplace violence among healthcare workers in University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was carried out amongst healthcare workers in University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City from December 2022 to December 2023. A stratified sampling method was used to select respondents from the healthcare workers. Data was collected from respondents using self–administered questionnaire containing close ended questions. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Ethical approval was obtained from Ethics and Research Committee, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
Results: A total 500 out of 506 questionnaires administered were retrieved and analysed, giving a response rate of 98.8%. There were 210 (58.0%) male respondents and 290 (42.0%) female respondents with a mean age of, 36.2± 8.7 years. The professional composition of the participants indicates that the majority, 317 (63.4%), belong to the nurse category, while 183 (36.6%) were doctors. Most of the respondents 130 (26.0%) had a working experience of 6-10 years. Most of the respondents 298 (59.6%) reported having experienced workplace violence within the past year. The forms of attacks reported by the respondents included verbal abuse 280 xiv (56.0%), bullying 135 (27.0%). Patient's relatives were the most common perpetrators of attack, 169 (56.7%). Majority of the attacks occurred inside the health facility 287 (96.3%). Regarding work-related factors, a substantial portion of respondents, 280 (56.0%) reported to not work in shifts. Respondents expressed varying levels of worry about workplace violence, with, 134 (26.8%) being very worried. The availability of procedures for reporting violence was affirmed by 409 (81.8%) of the participants. The study reveals significant associations related to workplace violence among healthcare professionals, encompassing various forms of mistreatment. Individuals aged 40 years and below were 1.763 times more likely to experience workplace violence than their older counterparts (p = 0.022). Senior nurses demonstrated a lower likelihood of workplace violence compared to junior nurses (AOR = 0.535, p = 0.049). For physical violence, junior nurses had a higher likelihood of experiencing physical violence compared to senior nurses (AOR = 0.609, p = 0.223). Working between 6 pm and 7 am significantly increased the odds of physical violence (AOR = 0.326, p = 0.030).
