A
previous study also reported that healthcare workers in an emergency department were victims of direct workplace violence because they reported re-experiencing the violent event, followed
by hyper - arousal and avoidance.28 Laposa and Alden reported that re-experiencing an incident of physical violence was significantly and negatively associated with emergency department workers» ability to
accomplish their work.28 It is possible that the prevalence of symptoms of hyper - arousal and avoidance was not higher due to the distinctive characteristics of the healthcare workers» jobs and the hospital's culture, which required them to be able to shift their focus quickly and constantly.