Assessment of Factors Associated with Workplace Violence against Nurses among Referral Hospitals of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Workplace violence is a serious occupational risk for global workforce and healthcare workers are at greater risk of violence than other service workers. However, no studies have been investigated about this phenomenon in Ethiopia. Objective: to assess the prevalence and predictors of workplace violence against nurses working in referral hospitals of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.Method: Facility based cross sectional study was conducted among nurses working in all referral hospitals of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Two hundred fifteen (215) nurses were selected by simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using pre-tested questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS software version 16. Binary and multiple logistic regressions were used to see factors associated with workplace violence.Result: Out of 203 nurses participated in the study, 168(82.2%) of the nurses have experienced workplace violence during the previous 12 months.  Among these 81.8%, 9.9%, 47.3%, and 23.2% had history of verbal abuse, sexual harassment, bulling/mobbing and physical violence respectively within the past 12 months. Nurses working in inpatient departments were 4 times more likely to experience workplace violence than those who did not (AOR=4.326, 95% C.I., 1.594, 11.739. Clients who wait long for service above the recommended time were 3 times more likely to create workplace violence than those who did not (AOR=2.960, 95% C.I.1.214, 7.217). Conclusion and recommendation: Most of the nurses (82.8%) have experienced workplace violence in the last 12 months. However majority of them (83.9%) did not report the incidents of workplace violence.

Keywords: prevalence, predictors, workplace violence, nurses, referral hospitals, Ethiopia