Assessing Frequency of Workplace Violence against Emergency Medical Services Personnel

Bakhshi, Peiman; Sourimajd, Davood; Fakhri, Sara; Kordestani Moghadam, Parastou; Zare, Sodabeh

doi:10.22087/ijac.2025.510080.1054

Assessing Frequency of Workplace Violence against Emergency Medical Services Personnel

Document Type : Research

Authors

Peiman Bakhshi ¹

Davood Sourimajd ²

Sara Fakhri ²

Parastou Kordestani Moghadam ³

Sodabeh Zare ⁴

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine & Operation room, Faculty of Paramedicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

² Department of Emergency, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

³ Critical Care and Emergency Nursing, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

⁴ Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health and Nutrition Lorestan University of Medical Sciences

10.22087/ijac.2025.510080.1054

Abstract

Workplace violence represents a global challenge with an increasing prevalence. This study aimed to assess the incidence of violence against emergency medical services (EMS) personnel at Shohada-ye Ashayer Hospital in Khorramabad, Iran, during the winter of 2023. To achieve this, standardized questionnaires were distributed to EMS personnel. All participants reported experiencing violence at least once. The types of violence encountered included physical violence (26%), verbal abuse (37%), and cultural aggression (36%), with no recorded instances of sexual violence. Additionally, 66 personnel (57%) reported experiencing 2-5 violent incidents in the preceding year. The analysis identified patient companions as the primary perpetrators (60%), with males constituting 57% of the assailants. In conclusion, the emergency department at Shohada-ye-Ashayer Hospital exhibited significantly higher rates of violence compared to other Iranian medical centers, with all participants reporting at least one violent incident in the preceding year.

Keywords

Violence

Workplace

Medical Staff

Emergency Department

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