Impact of workplace bullying and burnout on job satisfaction among Bangladeshi nurses: A cross-sectional study

Saifur Rahman Chowdhury; Humayun Kabir; Nahida Akter; Mohammad Azmain Iktidar; Anjan Kumar Roy; Mahfuzur Rahman Chowdhury; Ahmed Hossain

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13162

Impact of workplace bullying and burnout on job satisfaction among Bangladeshi nurses: A cross-sectional study

Heliyon. 2023 Jan 24;9(2):e13162. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13162. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Authors

Saifur Rahman Chowdhury^{1

2}, Humayun Kabir^{1

2}, Nahida Akter^{3

4}, Mohammad Azmain Iktidar¹, Anjan Kumar Roy⁵, Mahfuzur Rahman Chowdhury⁶, Ahmed Hossain^{1

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka 1229, Bangladesh.
² Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, L8S 4L8, Ontario, Canada.
³ Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh.
⁴ Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
⁵ Department of Nursing and Health Science, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore, Bangladesh.
⁶ Department of English, North East University Bangladesh, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh.
⁷ Health Services Administration, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

Abstract

Background: Job satisfaction is one of the most important but least researched issues in the nursing profession in Bangladesh. This study aimed to investigate how workplace bullying and burnout are related to job satisfaction, as well as determine the factors that are associated with job satisfaction among Bangladeshi nurses.

Methods: Data were collected from Bangladeshi registered nurses between February 26, 2021, and July 10, 2021, in this cross-sectional study. Bullying, burnout, and job satisfaction were measured with the Short Negative Acts Questionnaire [S-NAQ], the Burnout Measure-Short version (BMS), and the Short Index of Job Satisfaction (SIJS-5), respectively. The correlations between age, bullying, burnout, and job satisfaction were assessed using a Pearson's correlation test. In order to investigate the adjusted association of demographic characteristics, occupational variables, bullying, and burnout with job satisfaction, multiple linear regression models were fitted.

Results: The study included 1,264 nurses (70.02% were female) with a mean age of 28.41 (±5.54) years. Job satisfaction was significantly negatively correlated with bullying and burnout (p < 0.001). According to the multiple linear regression models, the private-employed nurses had lower job satisfaction than the government-employed nurses (β = -0.901, CI: -1.640 to -0.162). Compared to the nurses in the Dhaka division, the nurses in the Chattogram division (β = 0.854, CI: 0.099 to 1.609) and other divisions (β = 0.993, CI: 0.273 to 1.713) had higher job satisfaction. Nurses without sufficient equipment to manage patients (β = -1.230, CI: -1.696 to -0.763), and nurses not paid on time (β = -1.475, CI: -2.221 to -0.729) were predicted to have significantly lower job satisfaction. Nurses' job satisfaction levels were decreased with higher levels of workplace bullying (β = -0.086, CI: -0.120 to -0.053), and burnout (β = -1.040, CI: -1.242 to -0.838).

Conclusions: Nurses' job satisfaction was correlated with workplace bullying and burnout. Moreover, insufficient professional support from the authorities predicted nurses' job satisfaction. Reducing the instances of bullying and burnout among nurses, as well as improving their working environment, are essential to increase job satisfaction. This is possible with the support of hospital management, policymakers, and government authorities.

Keywords: Bullying; Burnout; Healthcare professionals; Healthcare workers; Job satisfaction; Nurses; Workplace.