Nurses' perception of workplace discrimination

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Workplace discrimination poses significant challenges to nurses' professional socialization and well-being.
• Discrimination is linked to negative outcomes such as stress, burnout, and staff turnover in nursing.
• Limited research exists on workplace discrimination within the nursing profession.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate nurses' perceptions of workplace discrimination.
• To identify the prevalence and types of discrimination experienced by nurses.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted in Iranian hospitals.
• 597 nurses participated, selected via stratified random sampling.
• Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire and analyzed statistically.

Main Results:

• Nurses reported moderate levels of overall workplace discrimination.
• Vertical, horizontal, and consequences of discrimination dimensions scored moderately, while gender and cultural-organizational discrimination were perceived as low.
• Discrimination scores correlated significantly with employment status and work experience, but not education, marital status, or gender.

Conclusions:

• Hospital managers must implement strategies to reduce discrimination and promote organizational justice.
• Improving the work environment can enhance nurses' morale and the quality of care.
• Further research is needed to understand and mitigate workplace discrimination in nursing.