Violence against Nursing Students in the Workplace: An Iranian Experience

Abstract Background Workplace violence has a great impact on the quality of patient care and satisfaction. This study aimed to determine the extent of violence experienced by nursing students, and its predisposing factors. Methods This was a cross-sectional study which was conducted on 150 nursing students in teaching hospitals of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences. A questionnaire form was used for data collection. Results Participants stated they were abused physically (12.7%), verbally (73.3%), racial (40.7%), and sexually (5.3%). The lack of awareness of the population about the tasks of the nursing students (40.0%) was the most important risk factor for violence against them. Conclusion The violence against nursing students is a common problem in the workplace. It is mainly caused by the lack of awareness of people from the duties of the nursing students. Therefore, it is necessary to educate the population about the responsibilities of nurses and nursing students.