title: Workplace violence against nurses in Chinese hospitals: a cross-sectional survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of workplace violence that Chinese nurses have encountered, identify risk factors and provide a basis for future targeted interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Heilongjiang, a province in northeast China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 588 nurses provided data. There were also in-depth interviews with 12 nurses, 7 hospital administrators and 6 health officials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 7.8% of the nurses reported physically violent experiences and 71.9% reported non-physically violent experiences in the preceding year. Perpetrators were patients or their relatives (93.5% and 82%, respectively), and 24% of nurses experienced non-physical violence that involved Yi Nao (gangs specifically targeting hospitals). Inexperienced nurses were more likely to report physical (13.2%) or non-physical (89.5%) violence compared with experienced nurses. Graduate-level nurses were more likely to perceive and report non-physical violence (84.6%). Nurses who worked rotating shifts were 3.668 times (95% CI 1.275 to 10.554) more likely to experience physical violence, and 1.771 times (95% CI 1.123 to 2.792) more likely to experience non-physical violence compared with nurses who worked fixed day shifts. Higher anxiety levels about workplace violence and work types were associated with violence. Interviewees perceived financial burdens, unsatisfactory treatment outcomes and miscommunications as influencing factors for workplace violence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preplacement education should focus on high-risk groups to reduce workplace violence. Increased awareness from the public and policymakers is necessary to develop effective control strategies at individual, hospital and national levels.
authors: Department of Health Policy and Hospital Management, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors: Mingli
authors: M
authors: Jiao
authors: Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors: Ning
authors: N
authors: Ning
authors: Department of Health Policy and Hospital Management, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors: Ye
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors: Lijun
authors: L
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Cui
authors: Department of Medical Demography, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors: Zheng
authors: Z
authors: Kang
authors: Department of Medical Demography, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors: Libo
authors: L
authors: Liang
authors: Department of Health Policy and Hospital Management, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors: Qunhong
authors: Q
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors: Yanhua
authors: Y
authors: Hao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016272:Occupational Health; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence; D017132:Workplace; D064450:Workplace Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: OCCUPATIONAL & INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE