The relationship between workplace violence, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction and turnover intention among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objectives: Workplace violence is a major issue in society, business and healthcare settings. It adversely affects both employee safety and their ability to provide healthcare services. Aim: This study examined the association between workplace violence, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction and turnover intention among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We collected data from 513 nurses. We conducted ‘Process Macro’ analysis. Firstly, we included three mediators in the model: job satisfaction, workplace violence and emotional exhaustion. Secondly, we used work hours and anxiety as moderators of the relationship between workplace violence and turnover intention. Results: The findings revealed statistical significance that job satisfaction and workplace violence mediated the relationship between emotional exhaustion and nurse turnover intentions. Work hours and anxiety also moderated the relationship between workplace violence and nurses’ turnover intention. Conclusion: Respondents indicated that they were most affected by verbal violence during this time. Workplace violence is a negative factor that affects nurses’ work, affecting them physically and psychologically. This occupational risk should be considered when evaluating nurses exposed to violence, as it affects job satisfaction and turnover intentions. The main theoretical contribution of this research is the identification of the association between workplace violence, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction and turnover intention among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is clear that the research findings will be useful for healthcare professionals. The findings may have practical implications for healthcare administrators and their staff.

Poor Work Ability Is Associated with Workplace Violence in Nurses. A Longitudinal Study

“…Verbal and psychological violence also has serious effects on nursing students who complain about high job strain, low social support, and low organizational justice [76] that produce a negative effect on their professional commitment [77]. Workplace violence in HCWs may be associated with burnout and the intention to quit [78], although this relationship can be mediated by work ability [79].…”

The mediation role of work–family conflict in the effect of workplace violence on job satisfaction and intention to leave: a study on health care workers in Turkey

“…Additionally, the same study indicated that workplace violence and job satisfaction mediate the relationship between burnout and the intention to leave the job (Gedik et al, 2023). This study was conducted to determine how workplace violence experienced by health sector workers affects their job satisfaction and intention to leave, and whether work-family conflict plays a mediating role in this interaction.…”

“…In another study, it was observed that workplace violence experienced by healthcare workers affects job satisfaction, the intention to leave the job, and burnout. Additionally, the same study indicated that workplace violence and job satisfaction mediate the relationship between burnout and the intention to leave the job ( Gedik et al, 2023 ).…”

Trajectories and predictors of emotional exhaustion in clinical nurses in the context of healthcare crisis: a case study in Xi’an, China

“…As a result, these research methods were unable to fully reflect the trajectory of changes in emotional exhaustion in clinical nurses (Ding & Wu, 2023;Karaca et al, 2023;Zhang et al, 2023), and overlook the dynamic temporal variations in emotional exhaustion experienced by nursing staff over time. Besides, previous studies on the changes in emotional exhaustion often treated the psychological states of nurses as uniformly distributed, overlooking the issue of individual differences (Gedik et al, 2023;Rink et al, 2023). There was a lack of longitudinal exploration regarding the differential impact factors among different developmental trajectories.…”