Sexual Harassment and Verbal Violence Among Medical and Nursing Professionals: A Two-Center Cross-Sectional Study in Greece

TL;DR

This study in Greece found that most medical and nursing professionals face verbal abuse and sexual harassment at work, with nurses being more affected in some ways.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the prevalence and gender-specific patterns of verbal abuse and sexual harassment in Greek healthcare settings.

Findings

88.8% of participants experienced verbal abuse in the past year, with no significant difference between physicians and nurses.

70.3% of respondents experienced sexual harassment, with women and those in emergency or outpatient settings being more likely victims.

Nurses reported more frequent emotional reactions and direct confrontation of perpetrators compared to physicians.

Abstract

Background: Verbal abuse is recognized as the most prevalent form of workplace violence in healthcare settings. In recent years, however, increasing attention has been paid to the issue of sexual harassment, particularly among nursing professionals.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of verbal abuse and sexual harassment among physicians and nurses employed in public hospitals in the Attica region of Greece.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to July 2023 involving 61 physicians and 279 nurses across two public hospitals. The Verbal Abuse Scale (VAS) was employed to measure verbal abuse, while the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ) assessed experiences of sexual harassment.

Results: A total of 88.8% of participants reported experiencing verbal abuse at least once in the past year. No statistically significant difference in verbal abuse prevalence was observed between physicians and nurses. However, nurses reported significantly more frequent experiences of trivialization (p=0.011). Nurses were also more likely to endorse emotional reactions such as "I don't deserve to be treated this way" (p<0.001), "He/she has no right to treat me this way" (p=0.004), "This could potentially hurt me" (p=0.034), and "Why do I let him/her upset me enough to cry?" (p=0.004). Moreover, nurses were more likely to confront the perpetrator directly (p<0.001). Regarding sexual harassment, 70.3% of respondents indicated they had experienced such incidents at least once during their careers. Sexual harassment was significantly more prevalent among women (OR=3.356; p=0.003) and among those working in emergency departments or outpatient clinics (OR=2.696; p=0.015).

Conclusions: A considerable proportion of both medical and nursing staff are subjected to verbal abuse and sexual harassment in their workplace. These findings underscore the urgent need for robust policies and interventions by healthcare administrators and policymakers to support victims and address workplace violence without fear of retaliation.