Article Type : Research Article
Authors : Karaferis D and Balaska D
Keywords : Workplace violence; Public healthcare organizations; Aggression; Prevention; Underreporting; Safety measures; Covid-19 Pandemic; Greece
Workplace violence (WPV) in public healthcare
organizations has become a notable issue globally, leading to adverse health,
safety, and legal consequences [1-3]. From 2015, the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) has classified WPV as any instance of physical
violence, intimidation, harassment or other disruptive behaviour at work;
indeed, healthcare organizations have a higher reported rate of WPN compared to
social service providers and industry [4]. This phenomenon can have a range of physical
and psychological effects on victims. Roughly half of all workplace assaults in
the UK result in physical discomfort for healthcare workers, like chest
pressure or headaches, and also lead to emotional effects like anger, shock,
fear, depression, anxiety, and sleep disruptions. These bodily and mental
responses may result in decreased job contentment, diminished output, and
heightened employee turnover. In addition, workplace violence can affect
professional careers, as those who have experienced workplace bullying are more
likely to report that they want to quit their job. In most cases, workplace
violence is perpetrated by the patient's family, friends or visitors, and the
patient themselves [5-8].
Although violence against healthcare professionals is
common, there is limited research on how organizations handle the psychological
impacts of workplace violence against healthcare providers or how they address
this issue through strategies [9-12]. At a theoretical level, social learning
theory (SLT) was created to study deviant behaviour and emphasizes that human
behaviour is acquired and sustained through the interplay of personal factors,
environmental influences, and the behaviour’s characteristics. As such, a
conceptual framework for scrutinizing WPV is available. According to this
framework, any behaviour can be altered when positive or negative consequences
occur, and any strategy can be based on learning by cognitive processes (i.e.,
the ability to manipulate motivation to change behaviour), observational
learning, mutual determinism (i.e., the interactions between behaviour and
personal or environmental factors), and the dynamics of reciprocal influences
between environmental factors [13]. Due to the increase in epidemics, migration
flows and financial constraints, social unrest, poor interpersonal
relationships, increasing workload, rotating shift work, shortage of staff,
heavy work pressure, extreme work stress, it seems that workplace violence will
continue to increase in the healthcare organizations.
Purpose of the study
This article highlights the significance of
acknowledging the effects of WPV in public healthcare environments and
emphasizes the importance of collaborative efforts to improve the handling and
prevention of such violence.
The examination made use of literature concerning
workplace violence in public healthcare settings. The research was carried out
following the current legal regulations in the European Union that protect
employees' health. The methodologies of the publications were validated and
qualified based on how well they aligned with the subject matter. The
literature review utilized the specified databases and online journals, among
others: Scopus, PubMed, Elsevier Direct, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Web of
Science, and Embase. Information sources were located by conducting keyword
searches in various databases, online repositories, and digital libraries,
taking into account factors such as publication date, authorship, and article
type. The literature selected included research articles considered essential
for investigating the research questions posed in this study.
Effects of workplace
violence in public healthcare environments
The negative consequences of WPV are varied (direct or
indirect), complex and extend to different levels. To distinguish the effects
of violence against healthcare professionals, three levels can be
distinguished:
Effects
at the individual level, the occurrence of
violence seems to lead to decreased morale among professionals and further
negative impacts on the health, both physical and mental, of those affected in
the workplace, including victims and witnesses, such as: high blood pressure,
sleep disturbances, chronic fatigue, shame, anger, depression, loss of
appetite, irritability, low self-esteem and self-confidence, lack of
concentration, poor decision-making, poor performance, inability to work,
absenteeism, loss of appetite, fear, insecurity, isolation, occupational
burnout, post-traumatic stress. Furthermore, if bullying or harassment
continues for a long time and is severe enough, it can lead to paranoid
disorder, suicide or even death [3,14,15].
Several research studies have demonstrated that
physicians who experience frequent WPV are less satisfied with their work, are
more prone to burnout and even have to quit their jobs and ultimately can lead
to a shortage of physicians, particularly in hospitals. WPV causes physicians
to feel themselves in an unhealthy environment, which significantly reduces
their enthusiasm. Physicians have also reported feeling that patients and their
families do not respect or value their work, causing them to doubt their values
and professional standing during the provision of healthcare. Furthermore,
doctors who experience violence regularly show lower levels of empathy,
potentially resulting in a breakdown of trust between physician and patient.
They could also opt to ignore and take proactive measures to deal with the
conflicts they face, resulting in a diminished motivation in their job. Hence,
creating a calm healthcare environment and reducing workplace violence is an
effective way to improve job satisfaction, reduce burnout and turnover
intentions, and sustain the cohesion of the physicians' team. The nursing field
is deemed to be most susceptible to WPV among different healthcare roles
because of their close interaction with patients and visitors [16-20].
Effects
at the organism and the health system,
loss of job satisfaction and low morale have a negative impact on the
organization itself. Examples include conflicts, increased number of accidents
and injuries, coordination problems, occurrence or increase in dangerous
incidents or errors, dissatisfaction, poor loyalty and commitment, loss of
productivity and efficiency, negative impact on the organization's reputation
and image. Significantly, more accidents and injuries occur in emergency
departments, surgery, and intensive care and psychiatry departments than in
other departments [3,21].
Effects
at the family and society, victims of workplace
violence take their problems outside the workplace and their quality of life is
negatively affected as a result. Relationships characterized by suspicion,
sensitivity to criticism, isolation, hostile behaviour and reduced trust in
others are established. In other words, broken relationships and coercive
behaviour are observed [3].
Moreover, violent incidents can cause significant
damage to the healthcare system by leading to: a) decline in care quality, b)
worsening work environment, c) professionals exiting the field, reducing
available healthcare services, d) hindering recruitment in health professions,
e) perpetuating undesirable social behaviours, g) raising healthcare expenses,
h) harming personnel health.
Workplace violence in
healthcare – an underreported phenomenon
Underreporting occurs when an aggrieved employee does
not report an incident to their employer, the police or other relevant
authorities. Many HCWs, including physicians, nurses and paramedics, enter the
healthcare field due to a strong feeling of empathy for others. The value of
assisting others emotionally cannot be quantified, while healthcare
professionals face challenges such as extended and strenuous work shifts. HCWs
are at higher risk because they are on the forefront when handling individuals
in stressful, unpredictable, and potentially volatile situations. It is
difficult for HCWs to realize that they are facing WPV and understand that it
is a harmful phenomenon that should condemned. So, one explanation for this
lack of reporting is the empathy of staff towards patients whose aggression
stems from a medical condition, HCWs often justify that the patient “couldn't
control it” [18]. Frequently, HCWs fail to report incidents because they
believe that violence from patients is just a natural part of their job and
therefore downplay the situation. Additional factors that contribute to
underreporting include: a) complexity of an incident, excessive paperwork and
lack of trust are factors that connected with reporting system, b) an
unsupportive culture, no visible changes after reporting and the absence of
reporting guidelines are factors that connected with lack of policy, c) obstacles like having to finish a report
after completing a shift or having limited computer access are factors to occur
organizational weaknesses or deficiencies, d) the perception that the incident
was not significant enough to report or management's perceived lack of response
to non-serious incidents, e) disagreement on what constitutes violence, e.g.
including verbal harassment, f) reluctance to report workplace violence by
supervisors, g) emotional experiences like feelings of guilt, shame, or fear of
reprisals [22,23]. Under these circumstances, healthcare services might be
impacted by concerns or dangers of violence in the workplace, as healthcare
providers may provide lower quality care if they are afraid of the people they
are serving.
Violence phenomenon
accreditation tools
Questionnaires, observational checklists, and screening tools for identifying risks are commonly utilized to help identify high-risk patients. Although these interventions show impressive rates of success, they still do not perform well on their own. The basic research tools that have been developed to measure violence are:
The European Commission has implemented health and
safety regulations for workers. Council Framework Directive 89/391 specifically
addresses the enforcement of measures aimed at enhancing safety and health,
including workplace violence prevention. Article 5 mandates that: "The
employer is obliged to ensure the safety and health of employees in all aspects
of work" and in article 6 it is stated that the employer "assesses
the risks that cannot be avoided", while article 9 specifies that:
"the employer must have at his disposal an assessment of the safety and
health risks existing at work, including those concerning groups of workers
exposed to particular risks". Prevention measures and work and production
methods should be incorporated throughout the organization and across all
levels of operations [27]. In the last decade, there has been an increase in
violence prevention strategies advised for healthcare by government agencies
and experts on violence. The suggestions can be grouped into preventive
measures for patient or companion violence and preventive measures for partner
violence, with some similarities between them. A strong commitment from
healthcare management is needed for any prevention program, along with a clear
written occupational safety program/policy that is communicated to all staff.
Additional measures for prevention should shift attention towards the physical
environment (e.g., removing potential weapons, ensuring good lighting,
installing security cameras, alarm buttons, etc.), strengthening administrative
protocols, and offering employees increased training and educational options.
Job stress factors, such as high workloads or ineffective communication among
colleagues, can lead to higher chances of abuse towards patients and partners,
indicating a need for job restructuring to alleviate stress. The majority of
suggestions highlight the importance of having a monitoring system that
evaluates the quantity, variety, and seriousness of violence and injuries in a
company, which can also be utilized to gauge the success of prevention
measures.
To address violence in Health Care Institutions, the
World Health Organization recommends an overall plan that will take into
account both the special characteristics of each unit and will also introduce
interventions at the national level with policies to prevent violence,
strengthen custody and measures that will attempt to deal with the causes that
give rise to these phenomena. An important factor is the information and
training of the staff as well as the psychological and legal support of the
staff who have been attacked in the workplace. What is needed to deal with violence
in Health Care Institutions is the awareness of citizens, better organization
of health services and the establishment of stricter penalties for
perpetrators. As ways of managing incidents of violence, cited having an
adequate number of security staff, the observance of access rules to the
hospital premises, the attempt to appease with condescension and exclusively
verbal management, calling in the help of a specialist and coordinator,
informing administrative hierarchy, clinic on-call, on-call manager of the
Hospital Service as well as the Authorities and the written notification of the
incident to the administration. Many governments and international
organizations have explored methods to enhance the management of violence in
healthcare facilities through laws, regulations, and administrative directives.
One example is the passing of the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care
and Social Services Act in the U.S.A to address violence against employees. A
recent report stressed the significance of having a comprehensive OHS framework
to address WPV, according to the International Labour Organisation.
Furthermore, Shao (2023) have recommended incorporating certain HRM strategies
like security protocols and anti-violence training to assist HCWs [4-6, 28-32].
Measures to address
workplace violence in healthcare facilities
Despite extensive research on WPV, there is a scarcity
of recommendations on how to effectively address it. Efforts should be directed
towards promoting a safe work environment for employees and preventing
incidents of WPV. It is crucial to have adaptable approaches for dealing with
situations involving increased aggression and risk of violence and harm.
Research indicates that a combination of strategies is necessary to address
workplace violence towards workers. All measures devised to combat violence
within healthcare institutions must be implemented at three distinct levels: 1)
the personal level, 2) the health organization level and 3) the level of
society (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Levels of measures against violence in Healthcare Organizations.
Measures for prevention
of violence - primary intervention
Any measures that organizations develop must first have as their primary goal the prevention or deterrence of violence. The actions that can be included in the prevention level include the following:
Measures after the
occurrence of violence in healthcare facilities
Secondary and tertiary interventions involve providing
support to professionals impacted by violence and caring for those affected to
help lessen the harmful effects of violence through treatment, rehabilitation,
and prevention of future victimization.
Secondary intervention
After the violent act has taken place, it is crucial to offer assistance to the individual who has been victimized. Thus, the goal should be to reduce the negative impacts of the incident and address the sense of guilt that may follow an act of violence, as well as deter the victim from reporting the incident. It is imperative to immediately encourage staff support efforts and psychoeducational meetings featuring experts. The subsequent steps should be taken:
Promptly provide medical
care to the victim, along with a report detailing the incident and injuries
sustained, including photographs if available.
Consulting, qualified
staff or an external counsellor provide advises and support to address the
psychological effects of violence, with peer support groups as an added
resource. It is necessary to offer access to individuals who are able to assist
in the resolution of conflicts, these individuals should be chosen from various
departments, in order for a person in need of support to have a neutral
resource within the organization. Contacts must receive thorough training for
the project and be encouraged to offer suggestions for improvements or
solutions when necessary. Additionally, having a neutral expert advisor,
potentially from an external source, with psychological and legal knowledge is
crucial for contacts dealing with difficult and lengthy cases [50,51].
Process Management, is
crucial for effectively dealing with conflicts in the organization. It is
essential to continuously monitor, report, and investigate violent incidents in
order to uncover the root causes of violence and identify ways to enhance
prevention measures through incident reports. Executives can monitor trends of
violence and assess the success of violence prevention measures through
continuous surveillance [50,52].
Investigation of
complaints, assistance should be provided to the employee, particularly in
instances of harm. Additionally, it is essential to notify the victims that
their situation was examined by the proper authorities. Healthcare workers who
have been victims of WPV struggle to stand up for their rights due to ongoing
emotions of shock, anger, and frustration. If the employee chooses to make a
claim because of the injury, a person in power needs to be prepared to provide
the required assistance and support to the employee [52,53].
Mediation, is one way to
resolve disputes, however it does not always ensure that the incident will not
happen again in the future [54,55].
Resolving cases in courts, is typically the course of action taken by employees when they are injured and decide to seek compensation through a claim. In these instances, evidence is gathered and compiled into a thorough file documenting the occurrence of violence.
Tertiary intervention
Tertiary intervention involves providing long-term support for individuals who have experienced a violent event, such as offering rehabilitation or social services to help reduce emotional trauma for the victim.
Social support, prior
research has shown that social support can lessen the negative effects of
violence on the mental and professional functioning of healthcare workers
experiencing workplace violence, such as increased anxiety, work-related
stress, and unhappiness. Even though researchers have different
interpretations, they agree that social support involves connecting external
resources with personal relationships. There are two categories in which social
support can be categorized. A group includes physical, visible, or practical
assistance, like solid material help, social ties, and involvement in personal
connections (such as relatives, buddies, and coworkers). The second kind is
personal and experiential emotional support, where people feel appreciated,
assisted, and understood in society, and is closely linked to their own
emotions. The connection between hazardous work environments and decreased
dedication at work was found to be stronger for workers lacking support from
colleagues. Additionally, there was a discovered low level of emotional
commitment in the workplace and a high level of turnover intention linked to
psychological violence in the workplace [51,56].
Compensation, must be
provided to providers, as physical WPV can occur suddenly and result in
immediate severe injuries and damages, leading to high recovery expenses [57].
Organizational Agreements
and Protocols, for establishing safe zones or safely transporting patients
outside hospital or emergency entrances. Additionally, recommendations for
delivering home healthcare in hazardous circumstances, guaranteeing prompt
staff responses and assistance in emergencies, and employing strategies to
lessen patient wait times and offer timely updates to patients in the waiting
area. In many research studies, patient dissatisfaction with the healthcare
system is often attributed to waits for appointments [3,58,59].
Care Professional
Programs and contracts led by psychologists, doctors, and psychiatric nurses
are essential in mitigating the detrimental effects of WPV, which encompasses
post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and other concerns. The
most common problems faced by those impacted are related to mental health.
Typically, victims of workplace violence and bullying require several months of
therapy to tackle their psychological issues. Furthermore, further studies
suggest that cognitive therapy can reduce the impact of anxiety, depression,
and trauma on healthcare workers who are subjected to workplace violence and
bullying. Psychiatric nurses provide cognitive therapy through teaching skills
to address workplace violence and bullying issues [52,57].
Providing remedial opportunities, as psychological distress plays a key role in the reintegration process of workplace violence victims, taking time off work will enable them to receive appropriate professional assistance for their individual needs. An alternative work environment must be an option the victim should have [60].
Considering the above, the combination of different
offenders, forms of violence, and care environments presents a challenge for
developing interventions for violence, suggesting that a one-size-fits-all
strategy may not work or be viable. A multifaceted approach (Table 1) is
required to combat WPV, as the common culprits (patients, their
relatives/visitors, and coworkers) are varied.
Violence in the
workplace against healthcare workers during the Covid-19 outbreak
Worryingly, the latest data show even bigger increases
in aggression and WPV in various healthcare environments amid the Covid-19
crisis. HCWs were on the frontlines battling the disease, facing risks such as
increased workload, reduced sleep, isolation and quarantine, and less
socializing. Thus, insufficient personnel and equipment, increased risk of
morbidity and mortality associated with the disease increases the likelihood of
burnout, exhaustion, bulling, threatening behaviour and physical assault. Emergency
departments have experienced a disproportionate rise in violent incidents, with
up to twice as many occurrences compared to before the pandemic.
Frequent violent incidents have been consistently
linked to a reduction in the level of care provided to patients and a decrease
in the well-being of healthcare workers. Nurses and physicians, who are both
involved in direct patient care and on the front line, faced the highest rates
of WPV, compared to other professions. Unfortunately, although WPV is common
and has a significant impact, research shows that many organizational
interventions do not lead to lasting improvements [61-65]. In Greece, many
cases of violence against healthcare providers go undocumented and unreported
as they are not reported to official authorities or competent agencies. The
victim internalizes social attitudes and expectations, worrying about potential
judgement and stigma if the situation becomes known to others. In some
instances, professionals encounter violence or aggression so often that they
become accustomed to it and view it as a normal aspect of their job.
Approximately two-thirds of HCWs are believed to have encountered workplace
violence, research literature from Greece has shown that nurses being more
susceptible to WPV compared to physicians. Law 3850/2010 has been aligned with
European Directive 89/391, which mandates that companies are responsible for
ensuring the health and safety of their workers. Also, in 2021, Law 4808/2021
ratified the International Labour Organization's (Convention 190) on
eliminating workplace violence and harassment, leading to the regulation of
similar circumstances. Currently, Greece is part of a cluster of nations that
have introduced haphazard strategies to address WPV and bullying. Which are
still in the initial phases of development and application. However, the
increase in migration flows, incidents of juvenile violence, domestic violence
and gypsy attacks indicate that measures should be intensified [66-69].
The global issue of addressing workplace violence in
healthcare facilities requires investments in resources and implementing
prevention campaigns and programs to enhance occupational health and safety.
The outcomes of workplace violence (WPV) can result in lower productivity and
quality of medical care, ultimately harming health equity for the population.
The true scope of violence among healthcare professionals is uncertain because
many are afraid to report it, while some other view it as a normal part of
their job. Controlling the factors that cause physical, psychological, and
sexual assaults, along with verbal violence, is essential to eliminate the
acceptance of violence in healthcare environments. Combat measures against
violence should be developed at multiple levels (individual, organization,
society) and aligned with global organizations' guidelines for implementing
anti-violence policies and measures. In Greece it appears urgent to update the
legal system, and healthcare workers need to be educated on available options
to prevent violence and promote de-escalation. Continued research on violence
in healthcare settings will contribute to creating advancements.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Each author declares that he or she has no commercial
associations (e.g., consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest,
patent/licensing arrangement etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in
connection with the submitted article.
None
All authors were involved in all steps for preparation
of this article, including final proofreading and gave final approval of the
version to be published.