The relationship between the communication skills of intern physicians and their exposure to violence

Abstract

Background/Aim: Violence against healthcare workers has become a major problem worldwide. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the communication skills of interns and their exposure to violence. Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 287 students working as intern physicians at the Ondokuz Mayis University Faculty of Medicine within the academic year of 2018-2019. It was conducted with 234 volunteering individuals. The data were collected through a questionnaire, consisting of 33 questions in total, applied with a face-to-face interview. The Communication Skills Scale was used, as well as questions about sociodemographic characteristics and violence. The level of statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Results: Eighty-six (36.8%) intern physicians stated that they had been subjected to violence in the last year. Eighty-four (97.7%) of these participants stated that they were subjected to verbal violence and 5 (5.8%) to physical violence. While there was no significant difference between the participants in terms of being exposed to at least one type of violence or verbal violence, the mean scale score was significantly lower in those who were exposed to physical violence (P=0.032). Conclusion: The inadequacy of interns in communication was not included among the main reasons for verbal violence. Although the communication skills of interns who were exposed to physical violence were lower, it is necessary to work on larger groups to make a community-wide assessment.