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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 April 2020
The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between nurses’ exposure to workplace bullying and PTSD symptomology and the protective role of intrapersonal resources (psychological capital).
Workplace bullying has serious organizational and health effects in healthcare which threaten the quality of patient care. Few studies have examined the relation of workplace bullying to serious mental health outcomes, such as PTSD. In addition, the buffering effect of intrapersonal resources to protect nurses from effects of workplace bullying has not been studied.
A provincial survey of hospital nurses (n = 1205) was conducted to study the relationship between workplace bullying and PTSD and whether intrapersonal resources (Psycap) influenced this relationship. Nurses completed 3 standardized measures of bullying, PTSD, and Psycap.
A moderated regression analysis revealed that more frequent exposure to workplace bullying was significantly related to PTSD symptomology (R2 = .38). Psycap was not a significant moderator. Bullying exposure and Psycap were significant independent predictors of PTSD symptoms (β = .52 and -.21, respectively).
Workplace bullying appears to have a positive relationship with PTSD, a serious mental health outcome. This effect was not mitigated by Psycap, posited to be a protective against workplace stressors. This suggests that workplace bullying is a serious threat to nurses’ health requiring attention of hospital management.
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