Abstract:
INTRODUCTION: Workplace violence against health care workers in Emergency Departments (EDs) is a global concern.
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and types of workplace violence in EDs.
METHODS: a cross-sectional survey was conducted in three public sector hospital EDs in Gauteng, South Africa. A
self-administered, standardised online questionnaire developed by the World Health organization was used to
collect data between March and November 2022. A total of 65 health care workers which consisted of nurses (24)
and doctors (41) participated in the study.
RESULTS: The prevalence of workplace violence was 73.8 % with verbal abuse being the most common type at 66
%. Eighty-two percent of the victims did not report the incident. Poor communication and lack of mutual respect
among staff and healthcare users contributed to both physical and non-physical workplace violence.
CONCLUSION: Workplace violence appears to be a common occurrence in EDs in the hospitals surveyed in Gauteng.
It is regarded as a typical incident by respondents, and it is underreported. It has a direct negative impact on
health care workers and their working environment and indirectly on patients. Urgent attention from all stakeholders is needed to minimize the prevalence of these incidents.
