Nurses' Experiences of Sexual Harassment by Patients at Punjab Institute of Mental Health, Lahore, Pakistan: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Sexual harassment is an unwanted and unwelcomed behavior for any sexual favor. The objective of the study was to explore the nurses’ experiences of sexual harassment by patients at Punjab Institute of Mental Health, Lahore, Pakistan. The study was cross-sectional and qualitative in nature. The purposive sampling of non-probability sampling technique was applied to select the study’s participants. Using the purposive sampling technique, 50 nurses were selected. The in-depth interviews were conducted to get the in-depth information. The collected data was analyzed by using thematic analysis. The findings of the study reveals that sexual harassment is a widespread problem faced by nurses. The participants shared that they face different forms of sexual harassment such as softly touching the fingertips, requesting sexual intercourse by patients, accusing of being a whore and forcibly embracing, holding breast and buttocks, forced kissing, pressuring to marry and retaining privates in an Addiction Ward at Punjab Institute of Mental Hospital, Lahore. It can be concluded that male patients are the most likely perpetrators of sexual harassment towards nurses, and female nurses are the most likely victims. It is recommended that administration of the Institute should implement code of conduct and relevant laws in a strict manner.