Violence against Healthcare Workers of the Emergency Department in Nishtar Hospital, District Multan

Background: Healthcare workers who work in emergency departments are at a high risk of being involved in workplace violence (WPV) due to the nature of their profession which is very stressful and tense worldwide. Objective: The purpose of this study was to see the frequency of violence against healthcare workers and to identify the type of violence as well as the offender involved in this act in the hospital of Multan city. Study type, settings & duration: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Nishtar Medical College and Hospital Multan from June to August 2019. Methodology: We conducted this cross-sectional study using the World Health Organization’s tool to collect quantitative data on different aspects of workplace violence (WPV) among universally selected 164 healthcare professionals working in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital of Multan after taking informed consent. Results: Most physicians reported exposure to at least one type of violence in the past two months. A most common form of violence was verbal violence, which accounted for about three fourth (75.6%), and physical violence about 24.4%. The perpetrators of such incidences were mostly relatives of attendants of patients. Very few cases that created such events of aggression were investigated. Conclusion: Violence in hospitals is a serious public health concern. Verbal violence is the most reported workplace form of violence, affecting mostly physicians. Higher authorities and policymakers should introduce legitimate procedures and interventions to manage this serious issue.