Workplace violence among healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic in a Jordanian governmental hospital: the tip of the iceberg.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, significant cases of violence, intimidation, or stigmatization were targeted at healthcare workers (HCWs), patients, and medical infrastructure. These occurrences were most likely just the "tip of the iceberg," with much more remaining unnoticed. The present study's purpose was to assess the frequency, characteristics, effects, and contributing factors of workplace violence (WPV) committed against HCWs in AlKarak Governmental Hospital (KGH), South Jordan, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 382 HCWs (170 physicians and 212 nurses) working in the KGH, Jordan, during January and February 2021, using a semi-structured questionnaire. The current study showed that most participants (65.5%) reported exposure to WPV, mainly verbal violence (52.0%), and patients' relatives were the principal perpetrators in most incidents. The regular reporting of these incidents is deficient. The victims suffered psychological and physical effects. These assaults on healthcare facilities highlight the importance of effective risk communication at all levels of society to minimize anxiety, stigma, and, eventually, WPV. The way we communicate about COVID-19 is vital in motivating people to take proactive steps to fight the disease and safeguard healthcare.

Occupational stress, job satisfaction, and intent to leave: nurses working on front lines during COVID-19 pandemic in Zagazig City, Egypt.

During epidemics, the medical working environment is highly stressful especially for the nurses. The purpose of this study was to assess occupational stress, job satisfaction, and intent to leave among nurses dealing with suspected COVID-19 patients. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 nurses from Zagazig Fever Hospital (ZFH) which is one of COVID-19 Triage Hospitals (Group I) versus 210 nurses from Zagazig General Hospital (ZGH) (Group II) which is neither triage nor isolation hospital; dealing only with suspected COVID-19 patients in emergency at Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, from 10th to 24th of April 2020. Assessment was done through online questionnaire formed of the Expanded Nursing Stress Scale, the McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale, and questionnaire assessing specific COVID-19-associated stressors and nurses' intent to leave. Three quarters of nurses (75.2%) in ZFH had high stress level versus 60.5% in ZGH. Workload (98.6%), dealing with death and dying (96.7%), personal demands and fears (95.7%), employing strict biosecurity measures (95.2%), and stigma (90.5%) represented the highest priority stressors in ZFH, while exposure to infection risk (97.6%) was the stressor of highest priority among ZGH according to Pareto analysis. More than half of nurses (51.0%) in ZFH reported low satisfaction level versus 41.9% in ZGH. Only 4.8% of nurses in ZFH definitely had no intent to leave their present job. Type of hospital and its related workload were the most significant predictor of all the studied outcomes.