Shielding Our Angels: Tackling Workplace Violence Against Nurses working in Community Environments

Abstract

Background: Oman has seen remarkable progress in healthcare, leading to a decrease in mortality and infectious diseases and an increase in non-communicable chronic diseases, prompting the strengthening of community health nursing services. However, community health nurses in Oman face challenges like limited resources and high levels of workplace violence, which can significantly impact their well-being and care quality.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the prevalence and experiences of workplace violence against nurses working in community settings in Oman.

Method: This study used a descriptive cross-sectional design with a convenience sampling approach. One hundred ninety-seven community nurses completed the study questionnaires. The Research and Ethics Committee at Sultan Qaboos University approved the study, which employed an online survey methodology, ensuring participant confidentiality, and collected data from September to October 2023.

Results: Seventy-one percent of nurses surveyed experienced community-based violence, most commonly in the form of verbal (35.71%) and emotional (33.57%) abuse, with organization staff (33.57%) being the primary source. Despite 71.1% being aware of the reporting system, underreporting was expected due to perceptions of inaction and unclear procedures. While 60.4% were satisfied with the organization's response, a concerning 71.1% expressed an intent to leave their workplace, highlighting the urgent need for more robust measures to address workplace violence against community health nurses in Oman.

Conclusion: The research found that 71.1% of community nurses in Oman experience recurring workplace violence driven by employment and social factors. Nurses face mistreatment and are dissatisfied with reporting and organizational responses. Alarmingly, 71.1% want to leave, risking healthcare quality. Comprehensive measures are needed to improve safety, reporting, training, and coordination to protect these frontline workers.