Descriptive studies of violence against nurses: the case of CPU and the emergency department of CHIR Casablanca- Morocco

Abstract

Violence in the hospital environment is a major problem affecting all professional categories, with a significant impact on the efficiency of the healthcare system. Hence the interest of this study, which aims to identify the epidemiological characteristics and determine the different types of violence. Identify the triggers and prevalence of this phenomenon, and assess the repercussions of violence on the caregiver and the work environment.

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out between March and June 2023 among all nursing staff at the CPU and CHU Casablanca emergency departments, using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire including socio-professional variables and others linked to acts of violence. The results were presented in descriptive and analytical form according to the study's objectives.

Our sample comprised 35 employees, the majority of whom were women (68.6%) and men (31.4%), with an age range of 20-29 years.

The frequency of violence was 91%, including verbal violence in 91.4% (insults, shouting, aggressive tone) and physical violence in 88.5% (pushing). This violence was suffered more by women (69%) of young age (< 29 years). The main perpetrators of this violence were patients linked to their mental or psychiatric situation (85.7%) and long waiting times (37.1%). The high rate of internal violence (35.1%) revealed internal tension between the various parties involved, especially in the administrator-caregiver relationship, due firstly to the perpetrator's mental or psychiatric situation, and secondly to a lack of communication. A lack of working days following a physical assault (62.5%) was noted in most cases. A phenomenon of under-reporting (31.4%) was observed in our study, under the pretext of the futility of reporting, which prompts us to encourage the reporting of acts of violence and to develop prevention and management policies and strategies.

Healthcare professionals are exposed to a high risk of violent incidents in Moroccan hospitals, which could affect their behavior and performance. To 13 manage this phenomenon, we need to encourage the reporting of such acts and put in place support and prevention measures.