Survey analysis of workplace violence among public healthcare workers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Background Workplace violence in the healthcare sector has become a global issue that poses a threat to the safety and well-being of healthcare staff. This study aims to understand and analyze workplace violence experienced by public healthcare workers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Results This is an observational analytical descriptive study using a cross-sectional design across 482 healthcare workers from 7 general public hospitals taken through stratified random sampling with a standardized questionnaire. The surveys found that 65 from 482 healthcare workers (13.6%) admitted to experiencing physical violence, verbal abuse, bullying, and/or sexual harassment. It is most prevalent among nurses, with the majority occurring in the emergency department ward. Verbal abuse is the most common type, mainly perpetrated by patients' relatives. Most workers who experience violence take no action. In the bivariate analysis, there was a significant relationship between professions (p = 0.045) and their workplace (p < 0.001) with workers experiencing violence. No significant relationships were found regarding age, gender, marital status, duration of work, and years of service. Conclusions A low prevalence of workplace violence was noted in public hospitals in Yogyakarta, suggesting that underreporting might be a major concern. Nurses and the emergency department are the most vulnerable and thus need more urgent interventions. Further research should focus on private hospitals and more effective preventive and responsive measures.