Violence against nurses in the southern region of Malawi
Purpose: To investigate and describe the nature and extent of violence against nurses and the perceived effects thereof on nurses in the southern region of Malawi. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study in which 190 questionnaires were sent out to nurses from five facilities, 112 were returne...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2016-12-01
|
| Series: | Health SA Gesondheid: Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S102598481600003X |
| _version_ | 1828335128099684352 |
|---|---|
| author | Chimwemwe Kwanjo Banda Pat Mayers Sinegugu Duma |
| author_facet | Chimwemwe Kwanjo Banda Pat Mayers Sinegugu Duma |
| author_sort | Chimwemwe Kwanjo Banda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose: To investigate and describe the nature and extent of violence against nurses and the perceived effects thereof on nurses in the southern region of Malawi.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study in which 190 questionnaires were sent out to nurses from five facilities, 112 were returned completed (60% response rate). The five facilities included two central hospitals, one psychiatric hospital and two health care centres.
Results: 86% of the respondents agreed that violence against nurses is a problem in Malawi. The prevalence of violence for the five facilities in the preceding 12 months was 71% (CI 61%–79%) and was highest at the psychiatric hospital (100%). The types of violence experienced include verbal abuse (95%), threatening behaviours (73%), physical assaults (22%), sexual harassments (16%) and other (3%). Perpetrators of violence were: patients (71%); patients' relatives (47%); and work colleagues (43%). Nurses reacted to incidents of violence by reporting to managers, telling their friends, crying, retaliating, or ignoring the incident. Most (80%) nurses perceived that violence has psychological effects on them, which consequently affects their work performance and make them lose interest in the nursing profession.
Conclusions: Workplace violence against nurses exists in Malawi and it affects nurses psychologically; may result in poor work performance; and may be a causative factor in the attrition of nurses from the nursing profession. The study recommends that health facilities should adopt policies aimed at minimizing violence against nurses to create motivating and safe working environment for nurses. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:41:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9a2017c20f01434fa39d9b362de237fe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1025-9848 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:41:48Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health SA Gesondheid: Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-9a2017c20f01434fa39d9b362de237fe2022-12-22T02:28:43ZafrAOSISHealth SA Gesondheid: Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences1025-98482016-12-0121C41542110.1016/j.hsag.2016.01.002Violence against nurses in the southern region of MalawiChimwemwe Kwanjo Banda0Pat Mayers1Sinegugu Duma2University of Cape Town, University of Malawi, Kamuzu College of Nursing, MalawiDivision of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South AfricaDivision of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South AfricaPurpose: To investigate and describe the nature and extent of violence against nurses and the perceived effects thereof on nurses in the southern region of Malawi. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study in which 190 questionnaires were sent out to nurses from five facilities, 112 were returned completed (60% response rate). The five facilities included two central hospitals, one psychiatric hospital and two health care centres. Results: 86% of the respondents agreed that violence against nurses is a problem in Malawi. The prevalence of violence for the five facilities in the preceding 12 months was 71% (CI 61%–79%) and was highest at the psychiatric hospital (100%). The types of violence experienced include verbal abuse (95%), threatening behaviours (73%), physical assaults (22%), sexual harassments (16%) and other (3%). Perpetrators of violence were: patients (71%); patients' relatives (47%); and work colleagues (43%). Nurses reacted to incidents of violence by reporting to managers, telling their friends, crying, retaliating, or ignoring the incident. Most (80%) nurses perceived that violence has psychological effects on them, which consequently affects their work performance and make them lose interest in the nursing profession. Conclusions: Workplace violence against nurses exists in Malawi and it affects nurses psychologically; may result in poor work performance; and may be a causative factor in the attrition of nurses from the nursing profession. The study recommends that health facilities should adopt policies aimed at minimizing violence against nurses to create motivating and safe working environment for nurses.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S102598481600003XViolenceNursesMalawiWorkplace violence |
| spellingShingle | Chimwemwe Kwanjo Banda Pat Mayers Sinegugu Duma Violence against nurses in the southern region of Malawi Health SA Gesondheid: Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Violence Nurses Malawi Workplace violence |
| title | Violence against nurses in the southern region of Malawi |
| title_full | Violence against nurses in the southern region of Malawi |
| title_fullStr | Violence against nurses in the southern region of Malawi |
| title_full_unstemmed | Violence against nurses in the southern region of Malawi |
| title_short | Violence against nurses in the southern region of Malawi |
| title_sort | violence against nurses in the southern region of malawi |
| topic | Violence Nurses Malawi Workplace violence |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S102598481600003X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chimwemwekwanjobanda violenceagainstnursesinthesouthernregionofmalawi AT patmayers violenceagainstnursesinthesouthernregionofmalawi AT sineguguduma violenceagainstnursesinthesouthernregionofmalawi |