The relationship of workplace violence and nurse outcomes: Gender difference study on a propensity score matched sample

Abstract

Aims: To investigate workplace violence and nurse outcomes by comparing gender differences.

Design: A secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data.

Methods: Workplace violence was measured by four items from the International Hospital Outcome Study. Nurse outcomes were measured by tools including burnout, job satisfaction and intention to stay. We used propensity score matching to generate a sociodemographic balanced dataset of 108 male and 288 female nurses. A hypothetical relationship model was derived from the affective events theory. Comparative statistics and multi-group structural equation modelling were conducted to analyze gender differences. Data were collected in China from December 2013 - August 2014.

Results: Male nurses reported more workplace violence from staff and less intention to stay than females. Besides finding the mediation of burnout sharing with female nurses consistent with the affective events theory, workplace violence was directly linked to less intention to stay in male nurses.

Conclusion: Male nurses experience more workplace violence by staff than female nurses. Besides responding emotionally to workplace violence like female nurses, male nurses also respond behaviourally.

Impact: What problem did the study address? Gender differences in workplace violence and its relationship to nurse outcomes. What were the main findings? Male nurses experienced more workplace violence than female nurses, linked directly to less intention to stay. Workplace violence linked to less job satisfaction and intention to stay in nurses was mediated by burnout. Where and on whom will the research have impact? Gender-based prevention of and coping with workplace violence should be included in nursing training.

Keywords: burnout; gender; intention to stay; job satisfaction; nurses; propensity score match; structural equation modelling; workplace violence.