Strategies for controlling violence against health care workers: Application of fuzzy analytical hierarchy process and fuzzy additive ratio assessment.

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify and prioritize control measures of violence against health care workers (HWs) using the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) and fuzzy additive ratio assessment (ARAS-F). Occupational violence is a pervasive problem in health care centres. Reducing violence against staff is one of the challenges for health care managers. At the first stage, the most common criteria and control options for violence against HWs were identified and extracted using a review of previous studies. At the next stage, criteria for selection of control measures were prioritized using the FAHP. Finally, control measures of workplace violence were prioritized using the ARAS-F method. Results of the FAHP indicated that safety and efficiency were the most important criteria. Results of the ARAS-F also revealed that 'increasing number of security personnel' and 'training staff' were the best recommendations for controlling violence against HWs. Based on expert's opinions, administrative measures are the optimal ways to control violence at health centres; therefore, it is suggested that violence control programmes should be more focused on administrative measures. These results could assist nursing management to take best strategies for controlling occupational violence based on multi-criteria decision-making methods.