Original Article

Nurses' Perspectives on Risk Factors and Strategies to Control Workplace Violence: A National Survey in Vietnam

Abstract

Background: We aimed to describe nurses' perspectives on risk factors and strategies to control workplace violence.
Methods: To accomplish the study objectives, an online cross-sectional questionnaire-based investigation was conducted. The scales were developed in accordance with the guidelines provided by reputable organizations such as the International Labour Office (ILO), International Council of Nurses (ICN), WHO, and Public Services International (PSI), as well as previous scholarly works. Prior to implementation, the validity and reliability of the Likert scales were rigorously tested. The survey, conducted from March to May 2022, encompassed 163 public hospitals in Vietnam and was completed by 2,280 nurses employed in these institutions.
Results: According to nurses' perceptions, several key risk factors contribute to workplace violence (WPV). These include low socio-cultural awareness among patients and their family members, overcrowding in hospitals, non-compliance with hospital regulations, unrealistic expectations regarding treatment outcomes, communication issues among staff members. To effectively control WPV, nurses propose a range of strategies. These include enhancing the quality of hospital services and the hospital environment, fostering a positive workplace culture, establishing a comprehensive system for reporting and responding to incidents of WPV and developing patient care protocols. These strategies are believed to mitigate the occurrence and impact of WPV, ensuring a safer and more secure work environment for nurses.
Conclusion: Workplace violence in healthcare settings is influenced by organizational, clinical, and environmental risk factors. Nurses adopt a multi-component approach to manage workplace violence. This study provides valuable insights for developing effective strategies to combat workplace violence in Vietnam.

1. Organization IL, Nurses IC, Organization WH, International PS (2005). Framework guidelines for addressing workplace violence in the health sector: The training manual. 1st ed. CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland, pp.: 12-30
2. Cheung T, Lee PH, Yip PSF (2018). The association between workplace violence and physicians' and nurses' job satisfaction in Macau. PLoS One,13 (12): e0207577.
3. Chakraborty S, Mashreky SR, Dalal K (2022). Violence against physicians and nurses: a systematic literature review. Z Gesundh Wiss, 30 (8): 1837-1855.
4. Al-Qadi MM (2021). Workplace violence in nursing: A concept analysis. J Occup Health, 63 (1): e12226.
5. Babiarczyk B, Turbiarz A, Tomagová M, et al (2020). Reporting of workplace violence towards nurses in 5 European countries – a cross-sectional study. Int J Occup Med Environ Health, 33 (3): 325-338
6. Yue Z, Jianzheng C, Rulan Y, et al (2022). Prevalence of lateral violence in nurse workplace: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 12 (3): e054014.
7. Arafa A, Shehata A, Youssef M, Senosy S (2022). Violence against healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study from Egypt. Arch Environ Occup Health, 77 (8): 621-627.
8. Ramzi ZS, Fatah PW, Dalvandi A (2022). Prevalence of Workplace Violence Against Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Psychol, 13: 896156.
9. Gillespie GL, Gates DM, Miller M, Howard PK (2010). Workplace violence in healthcare settings: risk factors and protective strategies. Rehabil Nurs, 35 (5): 177-184.
10. Ghareeb NS, El-Shafei DA, Eladl AM (2021). Workplace violence among healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic in a Jordanian governmental hospital: the tip of the iceberg. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 28 (43): 61441-61449.
11. Ngo VM, Duong AT (2021). The situation of nurses with violation in the workplace at thai binh province’s general hospital in 2020. Vietnam Med J, 506 (1): 251-256.
12. Duong TQ, La NQ, Nguyen TC, Tri N (2019). Workplace violence towards nurses in Baria hospital: prevalence and correlates. Vietnam Pre Med J, 29 (8): 71-79.
13. Richards J (2003). Management of workplace violence victims. 1st ed. CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland, pp.: 3-15.
14. Nurses IC (2007). Guidelines on Coping with Violence in the Workplace. 1st ed. Jean-Marteau, Geneva, Switzerland, pp.: 1-20.
15. Honarvar B, Ghazanfari N, Raeisi Shahraki H, et al (2019). Violence against Nurses: A Neglected and Health-threatening Epidemic in the University Affiliated Public Hospitals in Shiraz, Iran. Int J Occup Environ Med, 10 (3):111-123.
16. Organization IL, Nurses IC, Organization WH, International PS (2003). Workplace Violence in the Health Sector - Country Case Study Research Instruments - Survey Questionnaire. 1st ed. Geneva, Switzerland, pp.: 3-14.
17. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (2021). Common Reasons for Workplace Violence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA. Available from: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/WPVHC/Nurses/Course/Slide/Unit3_6
18. Organization IL (2003). ILO Fact sheet - Workplace violence in the health services. 1st ed. Geneva, Switzerland, pp.: 1-4.
19. Lei Z, Yan S, Jiang H, et al (2022). Prevalence and Risk Factors of Workplace Violence Against Emergency Department Nurses in China. Int J Public Health, 67: 1604912.
20. Imran N, Muhammad HP, Rizwan F, Aisha RA (2013). Aggression and violence towards medical doctors and nurses in a public health care facility in lahore, Pakistan: a preliminary investigation. Khyber Med Univ J, 5: 179-184.
21. Md Mahbub H, Rachit S, Samia T, et al (2020). Prevalence, Characteristics, and Associated Factors of Workplace Violence Against Healthcare Professionals in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. medRxiv, 10.1101/2020.01.01.20016295
22. Shafran-Tikva S, Chinitz D, Stern Z, Feder-Bubis P (2017). Violence against physicians and nurses in a hospital: How does it happen? A mixed-methods study. Isr J Health Policy Res, 6 (1): 59.
23. Darawad MW, Al-Hussami M, Saleh AM, et al (2015). Violence against nurses in emergency departments in jordan: nurses' perspective. Workplace Health Saf, 63 (1): 9-17.
24. Davey K, Ravishankar V, Mehta N, ] et al (2020). A qualitative study of workplace violence among healthcare providers in emergency departments in India. Int J Emerg Med,13(1): 33.
25. Muhammad Naseem K, Ikram K, Zia U-H, et al (2021). Managing violence against healthcare personnel in the emergency settings of Pakistan: a mixed methods study. BMJ Open, 11 (6): e044213.
26. Spelten E, van Vuuren J, O’Meara P, et al (2022). Workplace violence against emergency health care workers: What Strategies do Workers use? BMC Emerg Med, 22 (1):78.
Files
IssueVol 53 No 8 (2024) QRcode
SectionOriginal Article(s)
DOI https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v53i8.16286
Keywords
Coping with violence Nurses Risk factors of violence Workplace violence
Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
Do SM, Nguyen NT, Mai ATL, Vu MTT. Nurses’ Perspectives on Risk Factors and Strategies to Control Workplace Violence: A National Survey in Vietnam. Iran J Public Health. 2024;53(8):1805-1814.