Factors Affecting Workplace Bullying Among Nurses: A Secondary Analysis According to Career Stage

Workplace bullying among nurses significantly impacts patient safety and nurse retention. The psychological predictors of bullying experiences may vary according to nurses' career development stages, necessitating career-specific understanding of underlying factors such as pathological narcissism and interpersonal cognitive distortions. This study aimed to investigate factors affecting workplace bullying (victim aspects) among nurses according to career stage, with a focus on pathologic narcissistic personality, interpersonal cognitive distortion, and organizational culture. This secondary analysis used data originally collected from 236 Korean nurses between January and February 2022. The participants were grouped into early- and mid-career nurses. Pathological narcissistic personality and interpersonal cognitive distortions were measured using the Pathological Narcissism Inventory and Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale, respectively. Workplace bullying was measured using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised. The multiple regression model for early- and mid-career nurses' workplace bullying had an explanatory power of 41.3% and 37.5%, respectively. Organizational culture (β = -.35, p ≤ .001) and narcissistic vulnerability (β = .53, p < .001) were the most significant factors affecting workplace bullying among early- and mid-career nurses, respectively. These findings suggest that interventions to prevent workplace bullying among nurses should be tailored according to career stage. For early-career nurses, efforts to foster a positive and supportive organizational culture are essential; whereas, for mid-career nurses, psychological support addressing narcissistic vulnerability may be more effective.