Sexual harassment of female nurses in a hospital in Turkey

Sexual harassment has been identified as a universal factor that can affect nursing performance and work productivity in any type of health care facility. Few studies in the area of sexual harassment have been conducted in developing countries, and this is the first study of its type to be conducted in the country of Turkey. The general purpose of this study is to examine whether the problem of sexual harassment truly is "universal' and to begin to address whether it exists among female nurses in Turkey. Translated surveys were distributed to selected nurses in Ankara, Turkey, asking about their experiences of sexual harassment during their nursing practice. With a response rate of 58% (n = 229), 75% of the respondents reported having been sexually harassed during their nursing practice. The most commonly reported forms of sexual harassment included sexual testing, jokes, remarks or questions and pressure for dates. Harassment by physicians (44%), by patients (34%), by relatives of patients (14%) and others (9%) were noted. Further, a significant relationship was found between sexual harassment of nurses who work in inpatient or outpatient clinics. In general, these findings suggest that sexual harassment of female nurses remains a disturbing problem in this developing country. Based on the findings, implications for policy and further study are suggested.