The Lateral Violence Experienced among Nurses on the Workplace

Workplace violence towards nurses is a worldwide problem, with professional nurses at the greater risk of being subjected to workplace violence. While the actual prevalence of workplace violence towards nurses remains unknown, it is expected that a lack of respect towards the nursing profession in the society is a significant factor that contributes to workplace violence towards nurses. This study aimed to identify the prevalence and characteristics of discriminative behavior experienced by nurses, working at the in-patient units and Emergency Departments of DHQ hospital. The study employed the cross-sectional design and included 100 nurses from in-patient units and Emergency Departments of DHQ hospital. A simple convenient sampling technique was used to engage the participants. Data was collected by using questionnaire. The study found 55.2 % prevalence of discriminative behavior among nurses. The study also reported highest prevalence of discriminative behaviour among young (19 to 29 years of age) female nurses with less than 5 years of work experience. The most common perpetrators of discriminative behaviour were nurses in managerial positions. The study identified the prevalence of discriminative behaviour towards nurses in healthcare settings. The findings of the study may serve as a milestone towards the implementation of Harassment of Women at Workplace, Act 2010 and may help to achieve the violence free healthcare environment.