Work place violence against health care workers in Iraq: a descriptive-analytical study.

Violence against health care workers (HCWs) is a global concern, particularly in conflict settings, and has negative consequences for health care systems. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and types of violence experienced by HCWs and to consider the relationship between violence and some sociodemographic characteristics. A descriptive analytical method was used in the study. A total of 94 hCWs in Khanaqin General Hospital completed the online questionnaire through convenience sampling method. The violence towards HCWs was common. The most common type of violence was verbal violence (54.4%) mainly against nurses, emergency department staff, younger and less experienced HCWs, males, and HCWs working in morning shifts. The current study has recommended many strategies for dealing with violence against HCWs in Iraq that involves the government, organizations providing healthcare, healthcare workers themselves, and the community.