Workplace Violence in Healthcare Settings

Workplace violence in healthcare encompasses any incident in which staff are abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances related to their work, including physical, verbal and psychological aggression. This multifaceted problem affects professionals across all settings—from emergency departments and intensive care units to homecare and outpatient services—and involves patients, visitors, colleagues and third parties as potential perpetrators. Prevalence estimates vary by region and setting but often exceed 40 per cent for non-physical violence and 20 per cent for physical assaults over a 12-month period. Risk factors include high patient acuity, long waiting times, resource constraints, inadequate staffing and insufficient training in de-escalation. Consequences range from physical injury and post-traumatic stress to burnout, reduced job satisfaction, high turnover and impaired patient safety. Underreporting remains a pervasive challenge, driven by perceived lack of institutional support and fears of reprisal. Effective prevention demands a systems approach combining robust reporting mechanisms, environmental design, staff education, establishment of zero-tolerance policies and engagement of multidisciplinary stakeholders to foster a culture of safety and respect.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Workplace Violence in Healthcare Settings publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in workplace violence in healthcare settings across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Workplace violence: Any act or threat of physical violence, harassment or intimidation occurring in a work context.

Verbal aggression: Non-physical hostile behaviour including threats, insults or demeaning language.

Physical violence: Use of physical force against a person, potentially causing injury or harm.

De-escalation: Techniques aimed at reducing the intensity of conflict or aggression through communication and environmental adjustments.

Meta-analysis: A statistical method for combining results from multiple studies to derive overall estimates of effect.

References

1. The growing burden of workplace violence against healthcare workers: trends in prevalence, risk factors, consequences, and prevention – a narrative review. EClinicalMedicine (2024).
2. Violence against healthcare professionals in intensive care units: a systematic review and meta-analysis of frequency, risk factors, interventions, and preventive measures. Critical Care (2024).
3. Association of workplace violence and bullying with later suicide risk: a multicohort study and meta-analysis of published data. The Lancet Public Health (2023).