Yang Liping, Liang Qingfang, Zeng Qinglin, Wang Yuqiang, Zeng Yanli, Zhang Xiangeng
Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
College of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2025 Jul;34(4):e70117. doi: 10.1111/inm.70117.
Workplace bullying remains a pervasive concern in healthcare, with nurses reporting among the highest rates of exposure across health professions. This study explored nurses' lived experiences of workplace bullying, with particular attention to their psychological reactions, coping responses and the organisational conditions that shaped these processes. A descriptive phenomenological design was employed. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with fourteen nurses at a tertiary hospital in China between October and December 2024. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. Four overarching themes were identified: (1) From emotional shock to lingering psychological trauma, (2) tensions between passive tolerance and active coping, (3) organisational climate of silence and hierarchical oppression and (4) psychological recovery and meaning reconstruction. The findings revealed that bullying induced acute and cumulative emotional distress-including anxiety, fear, helplessness and withdrawal-and prompted a range of coping behaviours such as endurance, overperformance and seeking support. Participants' responses were deeply shaped by hierarchical organisational cultures, leadership inaction, and a perceived lack of psychological safety in accessing support. These insights highlight the urgent need for healthcare institutions to implement trauma-informed, culturally responsive interventions that cultivate psychologically safe workplaces. Supporting nurses' emotional well-being is essential to fostering moral resilience, retaining workforce capacity and sustaining ethical, high-quality patient care.
职场霸凌仍是医疗行业普遍存在的问题，护士报告的受霸凌率在所有医疗职业中位居前列。本研究探讨了护士在职场霸凌中的亲身经历，特别关注他们的心理反应、应对方式以及影响这些过程的组织环境。采用了描述性现象学设计。2024年10月至12月期间，对中国一家三级医院的14名护士进行了半结构化的深入访谈。使用科莱齐的七步法对数据进行了分析。确定了四个总体主题：（1）从情绪冲击到长期心理创伤，（2）被动容忍与积极应对之间的紧张关系，（3）沉默的组织氛围和等级压迫，以及（4）心理恢复和意义重建。研究结果表明，霸凌会引发急性和累积性的情绪困扰，包括焦虑、恐惧、无助和退缩，并促使一系列应对行为，如忍耐、过度表现和寻求支持。参与者的反应深受等级森严的组织文化、领导不作为以及在寻求支持时缺乏心理安全感的影响。这些见解凸显了医疗机构迫切需要实施创伤知情、文化敏感的干预措施，营造心理安全的工作场所。支持护士的情绪健康对于培养道德韧性、保持劳动力能力以及维持符合伦理的高质量患者护理至关重要。
