OBIOMA BLESSING OGHUONYEOMERE

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence against nurses has had significant impact on the health sector worldwide, including Nigeria. Although measures have been put in place, in a bid to curb its occurrence, it still remains a major public health concern. OBJECTIVES: This study identified the prevalence, pattern and determinants of workplace violence against nurses in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), with a view to provide data for appropriate policy formulation to promote a better workplace atmosphere. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was carried out among 346 Nurses in the UBTH, Benin city, Nigeria. Respondents were selected using Stratified sampling method. Data was collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25, with the level of significance set at p < 0.05. RESULT: The mean age of the respondents was 37.7±10.9 years. There were 290 (83.8%) females, and more than half, 210 (60.7%), were married. Majority, 270 (77.6%) had experienced workplace violence at least once in their careers, and overall, 222 (64.2%) of the respondents had a high prevalence of workplace violence. The one-year prevalence rate of workplace violence was 71.9% (194). The highest determinant and measure indicated were unrealistic expectations of patient relatives (93.6%) and controlling the number of visitors (93.9%), respectively. Age (p = 0.001), marital status (p = 0.002), and years of experience (p = <0.001) were found to have significant associations with the overall prevalence. CONCLUSION: Majority of the respondents had experienced workplace violence, verbal abuse was most common form and patient relatives, the highest perpetrators. The highest determinant and measures to curb workplace violence were the unrealistic expectations of patient relatives and controlling the number of visitors respectively