Introduction: Workplace violence in healthcare is a serious problem that negatively affects the safety and well-being of nurses and the quality of healthcare. Due to the nature of their work and direct contact with patients, relatives, and colleagues, nurses are often exposed to various forms of violence. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the prevalence of different forms of workplace violence against nurses, identify the most common perpetrators, and recognize possible measures for preventing and mitigating violence. Methods: A descriptive research method with a scoping review of domestic and foreign professional literature was used. Literature was searched in bibliographic databases DiKUL, PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar from 2013 to 2023. The final analysis included 22 scientific articles. Results: Verbal violence proved to be the most common form of violence (60–95%), followed by physical violence (18–84%) and sexual harassment (8–35%). The most frequent perpetrators of violence are patients, followed by patients' relatives and coworkers. The consequences of violence are psychological (fear, uncertainty, depression), organizational (absenteeism, staff turnover), and affect the quality of patient care. Organizational approaches, education on communication skills and de-escalation, physical/technical measures, and systemic changes are recognized as effective measures for preventing violence. Discussion and conclusion: Violence against nurses requires a comprehensive approach that includes improving organizational culture as well as implementing concrete safety measures and systematic staff education. Special attention should be paid to ensuring a supportive work environment, appropriate staffing policies, and developing protocols for responding to violent incidents. Raising public awareness about the issue of violence in healthcare is also crucial for the long-term reduction of violence.
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