Exposure to external violence of medical personnel in district hospital institutions

Abstract

Violence against healthcare professionals constitutes a serious public health issue with significant impact on the well-being of healthcare professionals and the quality of care provided to patients. Although the phenomenon is widely acknowledged internationally, data from the Republic of Moldova remain scarce and fragmented The aim of this quantitative study is to assess the exposure of medical staff in district hospitals to external violence and to identify the factors associated with this phenomenon. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire, adapted from the World Health Organization model, administered to a representative sample of 883 medical employees from six randomly selected district hospitals across all geographical regions of the Republic of Moldova. The results showed that the majority of respondents had been exposed to at least one form of violence (69.8% of doctors and 56.7% of nurses), with a higher prevalence of psychological violence (57% of doctors and 53.2% of nurses compared to physical violence (12.8% of doctors and 3.5% of nurses). Female healthcare workers, particularly those with longer professional experience, were more frequently affected. Incidents of violence were more often reported in hospital departments during peak periods of clinical activity. Among contributing factors identified were inappropriate social behaviors, lack of education, and alcohol and drug use. These findings underscore the urgent need for institutional and governmental strategies aimed at preventing and managing workplace violence, as well as support and protection programs for healthcare professionals.