Workplace Violence Against Healthcare Workers in the Emergency Department at a Tertiary Academic Institute in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Patterns and Associated Factors.

BACKGROUND/

OBJECTIVES

Workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare workers (HCWs), especially in emergency departments (EDs), is a growing concern both globally and in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to describe the proportion of participating staff reporting physical attack and verbal abuse, identify the patterns and associated factors of these experiences in the emergency department at King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC), and assess healthcare workers' perceptions of existing preventive measures.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted at KSUMC, Riyadh. Using convenience sampling, staff with direct patient or family interaction were asked to complete an adapted version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Workplace Violence in the Health Sector Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Wilson 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for proportions, and logistic regression were used to describe responses and to examine factors associated with exposure. The adapted instrument retained the incident-specific modules on physical attack and verbal abuse; the modules on threats, bullying or mobbing, sexual harassment and racial harassment were omitted, so the primary outcome represents physical attack and/or verbal abuse rather than the full workplace-violence spectrum.

RESULTS

Of 181 participants, 8.8% (95% CI 5.5-13.9) reported being physically attacked and 39.2% (95% CI 32.4-46.5) reported verbal abuse in the previous 12 months; 74 (40.9%, 95% CI 34.0-48.2) reported either form. Among these 74 exposed respondents, 16 (21.6%, 95% CI 13.8-32.3) completed a formal institutional report (Occurrence Variance Report or incident/accident form); among the 102 respondents with a reportable incident, 31 (30.4%, 95% CI 22.3-39.9) indicated on a summary item that they had reported an incident by any route. In multivariable analysis, routine direct physical contact with patients or clients was independently associated with exposure (adjusted OR = 3.27, 95% CI 1.36-7.89), while nurses and other professional groups had lower adjusted odds than physicians.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-reported exposure to physical attack and/or verbal abuse was common among participating KSUMC ED staff, particularly those with routine direct physical contact with patients or clients. Because participants were recruited by convenience at a single center, these figures describe the participating sample rather than population prevalence. Formal institutional reporting was infrequent, supporting attention to non-punitive reporting systems, de-escalation training, and qualitative follow-up.