Aggressive behavior of patients and occupational burnout of emergency department staff: an observational study

Background: Healthcare professionals of emergency department (ED) is particularly vulnerable to incidents of aggression from patients.Aim of the study: To determine the opinions of medical staff regarding the aggressive behavior of patients admitted to an ED and to assess the impact of incidents of aggression on the professional burnout level.Material and methods: A diagnostic survey was conducted among 102 medical employees of the ED from September 2023 to February 2024. Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and self-developed questionnaire were used.Results: A group of 100% (n=102) of the respondents experienced aggressive behavior from a patient hospitalized in ED. The respondents most often experienced aggression several times a week" (38.24%; 39) or several times a month" (29.41%; 30). The main forms of aggressive behavior presented by patients were: raised voice (93.14%; 95), use of profanity (86.27%; 88), and insults (76.47%; 78). When faced with aggressive behavior, staff most commonly experienced the following emotions: stress 63.73% (n=65), anger 63.73% (n=65), and helplessness 45.10% (n=46). 47 (46.08%) members of the medical staff had a high level of emotional exhaustion, 31 (30.39%) had a high level of depersonalization, and 48 (47.06%) presented a high level of lack of personal achievement. A significant correlation was observed between negative emotions aroused in ED medical staff by patients presenting aggressive behavior and domains of professional burnout.Conclusions: There is a need to train ED medical staff how to effectively deal with anger and feelings of humiliation caused by patients' aggressive behavior.