[Effect of workplace bullying on posttraumatic stress disorder in nursing staff].

To investigate the relationship between workplace bullying and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in nursing staff, and to analyze the role of psychological capital between workplace bullying and PTSD. From December 2014 to June 2015, convenience sampling was used to collect 496 nurses from 5 grade A tertiary hospitals in a province of China. Their workplace bullying, psychological capital, and PTSD status were assessed using the Negative Acts Questionnaire, Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Self-Rating Scale, respectively. The correlation between variables was analyzed using a structural equation model. Among these nurses, the scores of negative acts, psychological capital, and PTSD were 37.15±12.83, 78.81±16.54, and 34.56±12.52, respectively. The score on each dimension of negative acts was positively correlated with that on each dimension of PTSD (<0.01) ; the score on each dimension of psychological capital was negatively correlated with that on each dimension of PTSD and negative acts (<0.01). Negative acts had a positive predictive effect on PTSD (=0.539, <0.01) , which was reduced after inclusion of psychological capital (=0.513, <0.01). The path coefficient was 0.62 for the effect of negative acts on PTSD, -0.18 for the effect of negative acts on psychological capital, and -0.11 for the effect of psychological capital on PTSD (<0.05) . Workplace bullying is a predictive factor for PTSD, and psychological capital plays a mediating role between workplace bullying and PTSD. The manager should reduce workplace bullying to improve the psychological capital in nursing staff and to prevent and reduce PTSD.