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Exposure the doctors to aggression in the workplace
B Jankowiak1, K Kowalczuk, E Krajewska-Kułak
1Department of General Nursing, Medical University of Białystok, Poland.
Advances in Medical Sciences
|January 31, 2008
Summary
Workplace aggression against doctors is common, with voice raising being the most frequent form. Doctors in hospital wards, particularly surgery and neurology, face the highest exposure to aggression from patients and superiors.
Area of Science:
- Medical sociology
- Occupational health
Background:
- Workplace aggression is a significant issue impacting healthcare professionals.
- Understanding the dynamics of aggression towards doctors is crucial for improving the medical environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency, sources, and types of aggression experienced by doctors.
- To analyze how aggression varies by workplace setting and professional position.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted among 501 doctors in Podlaskie Province.
- A modified questionnaire assessed workplace aggression, with data analyzed using chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests.
Main Results:
- Voice raising was the most common aggression (80% inpatient, 91% outpatient).
- Over half of doctors experienced patient threats; verbal aggression from superiors was frequent in surgery (48%) and neurology (40%) wards.
- Staff shortages and stress were cited as primary causes of aggression.
Conclusions:
- Aggression towards doctors originates from both patients and colleagues.
- The medical environment presents various forms of aggression, posing a workplace threat.
- Doctors in psychiatric, surgery, and neurology hospital wards are most vulnerable to aggression.
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