Workplace bullying and different levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms of nurses: A quantile regression approach for effective coping strategies

Abstract

Aim This study aimed to investigate effects of workplace bullying on different post-traumatic stress symptoms and coping among hospital nurses. Background Workplace bullying is a traumatic event that negatively affects the quality of patient care and nurses' mental health. Method This cross-sectional, correlational study used an online survey among hospital nurses. Ordinary least square and quantile regression analyses were conducted using Stata version 16. Results The study included 233 registered nurses from South Korea who had provided direct care to patients in a hospital for at least 6 months. Overall, 28% self-identified as victims or witnesses and 37% as victims and witnesses simultaneously. 'Victim' and 'passive coping' were significantly associated with the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles groups of post-traumatic stress symptoms, while 'witness' was significant in the 95th percentile group. Conclusion Our study findings explore nurses' workplace bullying, detect high-risk subgroups and suggest the development of coping interventions for reducing workplace bullying and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Implications for Nursing Management The study identified associations among bullying experience types, severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms and passive coping. It is critical to explore traumatic experience types and severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms for nurses at risk of workplace bullying.