Workplace bullying, psychological hardiness, and accidents and injuries in nursing: A moderated mediation model

PLoS One. 2021 Jan 8;16(1):e0244426. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244426. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Workplace bullying are prevalent among the nursing workforce. Consequences of workplace bullying include psychological stress and workplace accidents and injuries. Psychological hardiness is proposed as a buffer for workplace bullying and psychological stress on workplace accidents and injuries. This study adopted the Affective Events Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory to develop and test a moderated mediated model in two field studies. Study 1 (N = 286, Australian nurses) found support for the direct negative effect of workplace bullying on workplace accidents and injuries with psychological stress acting as the mediator. The mediation findings from Study 1 were replicated in Study 2 (N = 201, New Zealand nurses). In addition, Study 2 supplemented Study 1 by providing empirical support for using psychological hardiness as the buffer for the association between psychological stress and workplace accidents and injuries. This study offers theoretical and empirical insights into the research and practice on psychological hardiness for improving the psychological well-being of employees who faced workplace mistreatments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Accidents
  • Adult
  • Bullying* / psychology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Discriminant Analysis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Theoretical
  • New Zealand
  • Nurses / psychology*
  • Stress, Psychological*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Workplace
  • Wounds and Injuries

Grants and funding

Funding was provided by the Auckland University of Technology as a research grant awarded to Teo, Lamm and Boocock. Authors Trevelyan, Lamm, and Boocock are full time employees of the funder (Auckland University of Technology).The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.