Sexual harassment against nurses in Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the prevalence and sources of sexual harassment against nurses in Turkey, its consequences, and factors affecting harassment experiences.


METHODS
Descriptive survey. Participants (N=622) were selected from nurses working in eight Ministry of Health hospitals in Turkey.


METHODS
Participants were surveyed with a Sexual Harassment Questionnaire, consisting of the sociodemographic characteristics of participants, types of sexual harassment, sources, feelings, ramifications, and ways to cope with sexual harassment behaviors. Frequency and percentage distributions, chi-square, and logistic regression were used for data analysis.


RESULTS
The results showed 37.1% of participants had been harassed sexually. Physicians were identified as the primary instigators of sexual harassment. The most common reactions against harassers were anger and fear; frequently reported negative effects of sexual harassment were disturbed mental health function, decline in job performance, and headache. "Did nothing" was the coping method used most commonly by the nurses. About 80% of sexually harassed nurses did not report the incident of sexual harassment to hospital administration.


CONCLUSIONS
The lower working status and power of nurses in the workplace, poor working conditions in healthcare settings, and insufficient administrative mechanisms, including the present law and regulations against sexual harassers, were identified as important factors in the work environment in Turkey.
Celik
Yusuf
Y
Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Health Care Management, Hacettepe University, Ankara-Turkey.
Celik
Sevilay Senol
SS
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006272:Health Facility Environment / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D016015:Logistic Models; D017533:Marital Status; D008603:Mental Health; D009341:Negativism; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011209:Power, Psychological; D015995:Prevalence; D017406:Sexual Harassment / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*