Background and aim: Job satisfaction can be affected by various factors such as financial compensation, opportunity for advancement, relationship with the supervisor, and the job security in workplace. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between workplace violence and job satisfaction of primary health care professionals in Turkey.

Methods: In this descriptive study a questionnnaire was administered to 143 primary health care professionals. In the questionnaire, while asking questions about workplace violence and their responses, job satisfaction was measured using the ‘’Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale’’

Results: Sixty-five percent (n=92) of the participants was exposed at least once to workplace violence throughout their career. Majority (82%, n=117) of the sample were exposed to psychological harm including verbal assaults, while 20% (n=28) of the sample were exposed to physical agression, during the last year. Most of them had never been trained how to prevent the workplace agression or how to react when it took place. Seventy percent (n=88) of the participants who showed great anxiety in case of violence, had been exposed to workplace violence at least once throughout their career (p (p<0,05). The ones who had been exposed to workplace violence at least once were less satisfied with their current profession than the ones who had never been exposed to violence before (p<0,05).

Discussion and conclusion: Overall, the results showed that the majority of primary health care professionals had been exposed to workplace violence. Their anxiety levels due to the violence lead them to doubt whether the standards for workplace security are sufficient or not. The findings also pointed out the fact that the exposure to workplace violence affects the job satisfaction in a negative way.