Invisible Crisis in the Emergency Department: Workplace Violence Against Healthcare Workers-A Descriptive Survey...

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Healthcare Workforce Safety
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Workplace violence (WPV) is a significant concern in emergency care settings.
• Understanding the prevalence and impact of WPV is crucial for healthcare worker (HCW) well-being and patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence, characteristics, and consequences of workplace violence (WPV) in emergency departments (EDs).
• To examine reporting behaviors among healthcare workers (HCWs) experiencing WPV.
• To identify factors associated with WPV in ED settings.

Main Methods:

• An online questionnaire was administered to 660 healthcare workers (HCWs) in emergency departments (EDs).
• Data collected included types of violence, perpetrators, psychological impacts, and reporting behaviors.
• Statistical analysis was used to determine prevalence and associations.

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of WPV was reported, with 97.4% of HCWs experiencing at least one incident.
• Verbal violence (93.8%) was most common, perpetrated mainly by patient companions (98.0%) and patients (60.3%).
• Consequences included loss of motivation (80.8%), anxiety (63.8%), and burnout (57.7%), with 49.8% never reporting incidents. ED overcrowding was associated with WPV in 85% of cases.

Conclusions:

• Workplace violence in EDs is a critical public health and workforce safety issue.
• System-level interventions are necessary to improve safety, reporting, and support for HCWs.
• Addressing ED overcrowding is essential to mitigate WPV.