[Violent acts against health care providers]

Violence against health care providers is getting more awareness nowadays. These are usually deliberate actions committed by patients or family members of them resulting in short and long term physical or psychological debilitating harm in the staff members. The causes of the violent acts are usually rooted in patient-related factors, although some characteristics of the professionals and of the workplace may also play some role. The present article presents different definitions of violence and possible reasons for violence against health care providers based on relevant international and national literature. The paper discusses the different forms and frequency of violence, furthermore, details about the effects, consequences and some options for prevention in health care settings are also included. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(28), 1105-1109.