Determination of Workplace Violence Toward Health Workers in Kocaeli

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of workplace violence, types of workplace violence and the individual and job characteristics that affect workplace violence among health workers. Methods: This study was planned as a descriptive and cross-sectional research. The study sample was comprised of 270 health workers in 12 different hospitals, which provide secondary and tertiary health services in Kocaeli. A questionnaire form was prepared by the researcher and was designed to determine the individual and job characteristics and the prevalence of workplace violence. Results: The mean age of the participants was 29.51 +/- 5.86 years. The rate of their exposure to violence in their lifetime was 72.6%, and the rate of violence in the last 12 months was 72.4%. The most frequently seen violence form was verbal abuse (98.5%), and it was determined that the violence was applied primarily by the patient's relatives and by males. Conclusion: Today, violence, which is disseminative, affects the health sector forcibly. It has been determined that the majority of the health workers are exposed to some type of violence. Thus, it is important to take necessary measures to prevent workplace violence.