Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Assistant Professor of Maternity and Gynecological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University
2
Assistant Professor of Nursing Administration, Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University.
3
Lecturer of Maternity and Gynecological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University
Abstract
Background:Workplace violence poses a significant and complex challenge within healthcare
environments, particularly amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Compounded by limited
understanding of the COVID-19 epidemic, inadequate access to personal protective equipment, and
absence of clear diagnostic and treatment guidelines for patients, nurses experience a substantial
burden, leading to job dissatisfaction and subsequently impacting the quality of care provided to
women. This study aimed to investigate the association between workplace violence against
maternity nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and their level of job satisfaction.Study design: A
descriptive correlational research design was adopted for this study.Setting: The study was carried
out at Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital.Sample: The sample consisted of 180 maternity
nurses, selected through a convenient sampling method. Data Collection Instruments: The study
employed two data collection tools: an Arabic Structured Interviewing Questionnaire and the
Satisfaction of Employees in Healthcare Scale (SEHC). Results: The findings revealed that 61.3%
of maternity nurses encountered verbal violence in the workplace approximately once a week.
Additionally, 33.0% of nurses experienced physical violence in the workplace roughly every 6
months. Furthermore, maternity nurses identified risk factors for exposure to workplace violence
during the COVID-19 pandemic, including insufficient response to reported incidents (78.3%),
overcrowding (77.4%), and prolonged waiting times (77.4%). Furthermore, a significant number of
maternity nurses indicated that workplace violence often goes unreported due to a perceived lack of
action against perpetrators (55.7%) and insufficient support for reporting incidents (53.8%).
Moreover, only 26.3% of maternity nurses reported job satisfaction during the COVID-19
pandemic. Conclusions: The study findings underscore that a considerable portion of maternity
nursing staff encounter workplace violence, predominantly in the form of verbal and physical
aggression. Additionally, a substantial majority of maternity nurses expressed dissatisfaction with
their job. Importantly, a robust positive association (p=0.001**) was established between the total
workplace violence score and job satisfaction among maternity nurses. Recommendations: Based
on these results, the study proposes the implementation of a comprehensive violence prevention
program tailored to maternity nurses. This program aims to enhance their professional safety, bolster
job satisfaction, and ultimately improve the overall quality of care provided
Keywords
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