Effect of Workplace Bullying and Job Stress on Turnover Intention in Hospital Nurses

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to explore nurse' bullying experiences according to demographic characteristics and to identify effects of workplace bullying and job stress on turnover intention in hospital nurses.Methods: One hundred sixty-one graduate students working as nurses were recruited.The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Stepwise multiple regression with PASW 18.0.Results: Results show that 23.0% of the nurses interviewed had experienced bullying in the workplace within the last six months and 19.4% had been bullied during the entire employment period.Bullying perpetrators included nurses (52.9%), physicians (23.0%), and patients (17.8%).Bully nurses consisted of senior nurses (63.0%), managers or supervisors (29.6%), colleagues (3.7%), and junior nurses (3.7%).Job turnover intention in hospital nurses was significantly correlated with workplace bullying (r=.20, p=.012) and job stress (r=.37, p<.001).The most significant predictors influencing the turnover intention of hospital nurses were job stress, age, and bullying in total career and these factors accounted for 21.0% of the variance.Conclusion: Job stress and bullying significantly influence turnover intention.Therefore, educational programs should be developed and implemented to prevent workplace bullying.