Addressing Violence Against Nurses: Challenges, Impacts, and Strategies for Prevention in Healthcare Settings

Abstract

Violence against nurses refers to any physical, verbal, or psychological harm inflicted on them in their workplace. It includes physical assaults, verbal abuse, bullying, threats, and sexual harassment. Such acts can originate from patients, their families, colleagues, or even superiors within the healthcare environment (Bernardes et al., 2021). Workplace violence often remains underreported due to stigma, fear of retaliation, or a lack of formal mechanisms for addressing these issues (Lim et al., 2022). The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies workplace violence into physical violence, psychological violence, sexual harassment, and discrimination. Each type has unique implications for nurses’ well-being, job satisfaction, and overall performance. Recognizing and defining violence against nurses is the first step toward addressing and mitigating its occurrence across diverse healthcare settings (Al-Qadi, 2021).