The relationship between nurses’ attitudes toward violence perpetrated by patients and their relatives against and turnover intention: A gender-based analysis
Hatice Demirağ, Nurşen KulakaçBackground
Violence perpetrated by patients and their relatives against healthcare workers is a widespread and alarming occupational problem in both developed and developing countries.
Objective
This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationship between nurses’ attitudes toward violence perpetrated by patients and their relatives against nurses and turnover intention, with a particular focus on gender-based differences.
Methods
The study was conducted between January 10 and February 20, 2026, with 241 nurses working at three state hospitals in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey. Data were collected using the Structured Nurse Information Form, the Nurses’ Attitudes Toward Patient and Patient-Relative Violence Scale, and the Turnover Intention Scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.0, and the level of statistical significance was set at
Results
Male nurses had significantly higher scores than female nurses on the Nurses’ Attitudes Toward Patient and Patient-Relative Violence Scale (
Conclusions
Nurses’ attitudes toward violence perpetrated by patients and their relatives against nurses were strongly associated with their turnover intention. Male nurses demonstrated more negative attitudes toward such violence, whereas female nurses reported higher turnover intention. These findings emphasize the importance of considering gender differences when developing institutional strategies to prevent patient- and relative-perpetrated violence and support nurse retention. The identification of organizational crowding as a major trigger of violence further indicates that hospital workload, staffing conditions, environmental arrangements, and workplace safety measures should be prioritized.