Violence against healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study from Egypt

Workplace violence (WPV) is a serious endemic phenomenon in healthcare settings, and it has been escalating during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this cross-sectional study, healthcare workers (HCWs) (105 physicians and 104 nurses) working at two public hospitals accepting patients with COVID-19 in Egypt were included. Using a self-administered questionnaire distributed in January 2021, data about HCWs' sociodemographic and occupational characteristics and their exposure to psychological and physical WPV during the past six months were collected. The results showed that the prevalence of psychological and physical WPV was 42.6% and 9.6%, respectively. Relatives of patients were the perpetrators in most WPV incidents. HCWs did not report 57.3% of psychological and 10.0% of physical WPV incidents. Female sex, having physical contact with patients, and working rotational shifts were associated with the increased exposure to psychological and physical WPV. In conclusion, this study showed a high prevalence of WPV against HCWs in Egyptian public hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Automated summary

This study revealed a high prevalence of workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare workers (HCWs) in Egyptian public hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a higher rate of psychological violence and patients' relatives being the main perpetrators. A significant portion of WPV incidents went unreported, and factors such as female sex, physical contact with patients, and working rotational shifts were associated with increased exposure to WPV.