Abstract
Objectives: Emergency department (ED) staff are disproportionately affected by workplace violence (WPV). Despite its prevalence, qualitative insights into ED staff experiences remain limited, particularly in Oman. As part of the national Workplace Violence against Emergency Department Workers in Oman study (WPV-EDOM), this article explores the perceptions, experiences, and attitudes of ED doctors and nurses towards WPV.
Methods: The study was conducted in Oman between June and October 2021. Doctors and nurses from EDs at secondary and tertiary hospitals across nine governorates who had participated in a validated online WPV survey were invited to respond to an open-ended question: “Free comments on workplace violence against emergency nurses and doctors.” Responses were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results: Of the 117 respondents (72.6% nurses, 58.1% female, 61.5% non-Omani), 55% reported experiencing non-physical WPV and 9% reported physical WPV in the preceding 12 months. Five themes were identified: perceptions and attitudes towards WPV, causes, consequences, proposed solutions, and responses to violent incidents. WPV was frequently regarded as inevitable, with underlying causes including long waiting times, resource shortages, and poor communication. Recommendations included public education, improved organisational policies, and enhanced staff training.
Conclusion: ED staff in Oman frequently encounter WPV, often perceiving it as inevitable. This normalisation is rooted in systemic factors such as understaffing, prolonged waiting times, communication barriers, and insufficient institutional support. Addressing WPV requires context-specific strategies including stricter policy enforcement, comprehensive staff training, and public education. These findings highlight the urgent need for initiatives to improve ED workplace safety and for further research to guide effective policy and practice reforms.