[Socioprofessional variables involved in mobbing in nursing]

To determine the type, frequency and cause of the most frequent hostile behaviors in a sample of nurses in the Balearic Islands and the socio-professional variables involved.

We performed a cross-sectional descriptive study. The sample was composed of 464 members of the association of nurses of the Balearic Islands (392 women and 49 men). Age ranged from 25 to 65 years (mean: 35.11; SD: 9.62); 368 worked in public institutions and 71 in private centers. The instrument used was the Psychological Mobbing Questionnaire.

A total of 17.2% of the nurses believed they had experienced mobbing at work (men: 22.4%; women: 14.5%). Significant differences were found according to age, but not according to institution. The most frequent hostile behavior was related to distortion of information, criticism of the purported victim, and lack of professional consideration. The perpetrators of mobbing were mainly, and very significantly, the bosses.

According to these results, one in five nurses in the Balearic Islands has experienced mobbing in the workplace. However, because of the low response rate, caution should be exercised when generalizing these results. Nevertheless, health institutions should bear these findings in mind to ensure standards of behavior that do not jeopardize workers' health and dignity.