Workplace violence towards nurses in Hong Kong: prevalence and correlates. (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cheung, Teris; Yip, Paul
• Is Part Of: BMC public health. Volume 17:Number 1(2017)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 10
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Cross-sectional -- DASS21 -- Nurses -- Occupational hazards -- Workplace violence -- Public health -- Hong Kong; Public health -- Periodicals; 362.105
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-017-4112-3
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-2458

Abstract

Abstract Background Nurses are especially vulnerable to violent and other forms of aggression in the workplace. Nonetheless, few population-based studies of workplace violence have been undertaken among working-age nurse professionals in Hong Kong in the last decade. Methods The study estimates the prevalence and examines the socio-economic and psychological correlates of workplace violence (WPV) among professional nurses in Hong Kong. The study uses a cross-sectional survey design. Multivariate logistic regression examines the weighted prevalence rates of WPV and its associated factors for a population of nurses. Results A total of 850 nurses participated in the study. 44.6% had experienced WPV in the preceding year. Male nurses reported more WPV than their female counterparts. The most common forms of WPV were verbal abuse/bullying (39.2%), then physical assault (22.7%) and sexual harassment (1.1%). The most common perpetrators of WPV were patients (36.6%) and their relatives (17.5%), followed by colleagues (7.7%) and supervisors (6.3%). Clinical position, shift work, job satisfaction, recent disturbances with colleagues, deliberate self-harm (DSH) and symptoms of anxiety were significantly correlated with WPV for nurses. Conclusions WPV remains a significant concern for healthcare worldwide. Hong Kong's local health authority should put in place a raft of zero-tolerance measures to prevent WPV in healthcare settings.