Abstract

Background and Aim: Nurses' perceptions and experiences of occupational violence shape their attitudes and emotions toward themselves, patients, and caregiving practices. This study aimed to investigate the occupational perceptions of nurses regarding patient violence in the psychiatric wards of Razi Psychiatric Complex in Tehran.

Methods: This qualitative study employed an interpretive phenomenological approach. The statistical population included nurses from all wards of Razi Psychiatric Complex. Participants were selected through purposive sampling based on inclusion criteria, and sampling continued until data saturation (13 participants). Data were collected via semi-structured, in-depth interviews, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis followed Van Manen’s (8) method, involving organizing and coding similar data into thematic categories.

Results: Analysis yielded approximately 1,000 meaning units. Six main themes and 15 subthemes were extracted. The primary themes included: antecedents of vulnerability to violence, conceptualization of violence, attitudes toward violence, individual consequences, occupational consequences, and meaning-making in work.

Conclusion: Workplace violence adversely affects the physical and mental health of nurses in psychiatric wards. Consequently, in-service training on anger management and spiritual coping strategies is recommended for professionals in such high-risk occupational environments.