Verbal and Physical Violence on Nurses in hospitals of Babol University of Medical Sciences

Violence in workplaces threatens safety of personnel. Among health care personnel, nurses are more exposed to verbal and physical violence. The aim of this study was to assess confrontation of nurses with verbal and physical violence in hospitals of Babol University of Medical Sciences.Methods & Materials: In this field study, all of nurses employed in hospitals of Babol University of Medical Sciences (n=302) were recruited to the study. Data were gathered using standardized questionnaire including four parts. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytic (Chi square and Fisher's exact test) statistics. More that 70% of the nurses had an experience of violence during their work period. Male nurses were more exposed to violence than the female nurses. Most of the violence was done by patient's relatives (40.4%). The results showed that most of the participants had the experience of violence done by patient's relatives. In order to minimize violence in hospitals, preventive strategies including proper management, proper protection, and public education should be considered.