Published in PLOS One on 2026-05-22, this study is presented as an attributed evidence briefing. The excerpts below are the original researchers’ words, reproduced under their Creative Commons Attribution licence. Health Signal has selected the abstract and, where needed, opening background paragraphs; the complete methods, results, limitations and references remain in the linked paper.
Original study title: Prevalence and determinants of workplace violence among nurses in public tertiary hospitals in Enugu state, Nigeria
Original authors: Nwanneka Chidinma Ghasi, Daniel Chukwuemeka Ogbuabor
Source: PLOS One • DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0349187
Read the complete primary study ↗ · Creative Commons Attribution licence
From the researchers
Abstract
Despite its impact on nurses’ well-being, hospital efficiency, and patients’ quality of care, published studies on workplace violence against nurses in sub-Saharan Africa are scarce. This study assessed the prevalence, characteristics, and determinants of workplace violence among nurses in public tertiary hospitals in Enugu State, Nigeria.
The study was a cross-sectional survey among nurses in the four (4) public tertiary hospitals (n = 450) in Enugu State Nigeria. The nurses were selected from the hospitals using proportional stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using a self-administered, workplace violence questionnaire for nurses. The outcome variable was nurses’ experiences of workplace violence in the past 12 months, scoring as yes or no. Workplace violence included verbal, physical, and sexual violence. Additionally, we collected socio-demographic and organizational characteristics of the nurses. Nurses’ socio-demographic factors, organizational characteristics and prevalence of workplace violence were summarized using descriptive statistics. We identified the predictors of workplace violence using bivariate analysis and binary regression. The significance level for all inferential analyses was p-value less than 0.05.
Overall, the prevalence of any workplace violence was 92.4%. The prevalence of verbal violence, physical violence, and sexual violence are 91.1%, 13.3%, and 2.0% correspondingly. Relatives of patients perpetrated most workplace violence among nurses in this study. Female nurses were more likely to experience verbal abuse than male nurses (COR = 2.84, 95%CI: 1.09–7.42, p = 0.002). Being a registered nurse (AOR = 2.06, 95%CI: 1.13–3.78, p = 0.019), direct contact with patients (AOR = 21.04, 95%CI: 3.17–139.82, p = 0.002), working in accident and emergency units (AOR = 6.91, 95%CI: 2.82–16.93, p < 0.001) increased the likelihood of physical violence against nurses. Direct contact with patients (AOR = 20.71, 95%CI: 3.54–121.12, p = 0.001) increased the likelihood of sexual violence.
Workplace violence among nurses in public hospitals need to improve. Decision-makers and practitioners can incorporate these findings into safeguarding policies and strategies to improve nurses’ safety and monitor interventions to eliminate workplace violence against nurses in Nigeria.
Introduction
Workplace violence (WPV) among nurses refers to incidents of mistreatment, intimidation, or assault of nurses while they are at work, which directly or indirectly threaten their safety, well-being, or health [1]. Due to their frontline roles, nurses are three times more likely to experience WPV than other health workers [2–5]. The prevalence of WPV among nurses varies widely across contexts [6–15]. Although patients and their relatives are the most prevalent people engaged in violent behaviours against nurses, coworkers, and other professional groups also perpetrate workplace violence against nurses [1,3,9,16–18]. Nonetheless, most nurses do report WPV due to lack of support, a lack of hospital reporting protocols, unclear reporting channels, increased workload, insufficient staffing, a poorly implemented visitor policy, and unfulfilled expectations [4,16,19–21]. Therefore, healthcare organizations need to enact occupational safeguarding legislation, enforce zero-tolerance policies, and adopt strategies to improve patient-nurse relationships and prevent WPV among nurses.
Reading this evidence
Use the full paper to check the study design, participant selection, comparator and outcome definitions before drawing a practical conclusion. An association does not by itself show cause and effect. A reported performance measure needs its denominator and uncertainty. A finding from a particular facility, sample or time period should retain that scope when it is discussed elsewhere.
This briefing makes the source accessible within the wider hospital systems desk. It does not assess an individual patient or certify a product. When considering relevance to another health system, examine the original authors’ account of context and limitations, then seek local implementation evidence. The related reporting below provides other studies to read alongside this one; it is a topic connection, rather than a claim that their results are directly comparable.
© 2026 Nwanneka Chidinma Ghasi, Daniel Chukwuemeka Ogbuabor. Excerpts reproduced under CC BY. Selection, formatting and contextual notes by Health Signal. The researchers are the authors of the source study, not members of Health Signal’s staff.
Explore connected evidence
- Evidence brief: Examining community perspectives on integrated service delivery for tuberculosis, mental health and substance use disorder in Nigeria: A qualitative study
- Evidence brief: Prevalence, spatial patterns and determinants of zero-dose vaccination among children aged 12–23 months in Sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel spatial analysis
- Evidence brief: Spatial distribution of diphtheria cases during the 2022/2023 outbreak in Kano State, Northern Nigeria
