Generational differences in distress, attitudes and incivility among nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing Management
• Organizational Psychology
• Healthcare Workplace Dynamics

Background:

• Negative social environments in nursing impact work quality and distress.
• Generational differences in distress and collegiality affect workplace health, recruitment, and retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate findings on higher distress levels in Generation X nurses compared to Baby Boomers.
• To investigate if Generation X nurses report more negative workplace social environments than Baby Boomers.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire survey comparing nurses by generation.
• Analysis of variance used to assess burnout, turnover intention, physical symptoms, and workplace incivility/civility.

Main Results:

• Generation X nurses reported significantly more negative experiences than Baby Boomer nurses across all measured variables.
• This includes higher levels of burnout, turnover intention, physical symptoms, and experiences of incivility.

Conclusions:

• The poor quality of social interactions at work contributes to nurse distress.
• Conflicts in values between nurses and workplace culture may exacerbate distress.
• Enhancing intergenerational collegiality is crucial for nurse retention strategies.