The Effects of Workplace Bullying on Physicians And Nurses

Abstract

Objective This cross-sectional and descriptive study assessed workplace bullying and its effects on work performance and depression status of physicians and nurses in a university hospital, Turkey.

Methods The study sample consisted of 201 physicians and 309 nurses. The variables are demographical characteristics of the participants, their perception of bullying, workload, the impact of bullying on work performance and their depression status.

Results A large percentage of physicians (74%) and nurses (82%) reported having experienced bullying in the workplace. No significant differences were found between the physicians and nurses in terms of experienced workplace bullying. However, there was an association between performance, depression and experienced violent behaviours.

Conclusion In order to solve the problem caused by workplace bullying, the rate of awareness amongst healthcare professionals needs to be raised. The researchers believe that unless organisations realise bullying's harmful effects on the employees and work performance, it is not easy to overcome the problem. Therefore, workplace bullying should be dealt with not only at an individual level, but also at organisational levels.