Violence and Its Effects on the Job Satisfaction of Healthcare Staff in Paediatric Emergency Departments

Abstract

Background Workplace violence in healthcare settings poses significant challenges to staff safety and the quality of patient care, particularly in Paediatric Emergency Departments (PEDs), where its impact extends to psychological strain and diminished care standards. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of workplace violence experienced by PED staff, and to examine its association with their job satisfaction. Methods This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Participants were PED physicians and nurses. Data collection tools were "socio-demographic and work-related questions form", "Workplace Violence Scale" and "Minnesota Job Satisfaction Short Scale". The population of the study consisted of a total of 476 PED healthcare staff who had at least 1 year working experience in two tertiary hospitals and one public hospital located in the southeast Anatolia region of Turkey. A total of 434 healthcare staff participated in this study. Data were collected face-to-face using a survey method between January 3, 2024 and May 12, 2024. The data were analysed using the statistical program SPSS 26. Results In this study, the prevalence of violence exposure was 84.33%. Major perpetrators were patients' relatives (n = 394, 53.2%), main cause of violence was waiting time (n = 302, 17.3%), and violence often occurred in the waiting room (n = 263, 24%). The most frequently reported types of verbal and physical violence were shouting (n = 395, 38.9%), and scratching-pinching (n = 268, 34.5%), respectively. The most violence occurred between 17:00-24:00 (n = 224, 51.6%). Reactions to violence included decrease in motivation-performance (n = 375, 56.7%), thinking of quitting the job (n = 127, 19.7%), and experiencing psychological problems (n = 91, 13.7%). Workplace Violence (WPV) Scale score was 14.25 +/- 4.66 and Minnesota Job Satisfaction score was 2.83 +/- 0.87. A statistically significant but weak negative correlation was found between workplace violence and job satisfaction (r:-0.125, p = 0.009). Conclusion Exposure to violence was frequent among PED staff. The level of job satisfaction among PED staff was low. This study suggests that taking measures to prevent violence in healthcare settings may contribute to fostering a safer work environment and potentially increasing job satisfaction.