The relationship between workplace bullying and ways of coping among intern nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundIntern nursing students are particularly vulnerable to workplace violence in clinical settings, which compromises patient safety and negatively impacts their mental health and professional development.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the prevalence of workplace bullying among intern nursing students and its association with coping styles, providing a foundation for developing targeted interventions.MethodsA total of 358 intern nursing students were selected from a Grade III Class A hospital in Hunan Province via convenience sampling. Data were collected using a general situation questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire. The study was grounded in Lazarus and Folkman's transactional stress theory. Data analysis was performed using SPSS. Skewed data were described using the interquartile range, whereas count data were described using composition ratio and rate. Group comparisons were conducted with non-parametric tests, and Spearman correlation was applied. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe mean workplace bullying score was 27.00, and the prevalence of workplace bullying among intern nursing students was 29.3%. The total workplace bullying score was negatively correlated with the positive coping dimension score (p < 0.001) and positively correlated with the negative coping dimension score (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that educational background, feelings towards the nursing major, positive coping dimension score and negative coping dimension score of the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire were associated with workplace bullying among intern nursing students (p < 0.05).ConclusionsThe incidence of workplace bullying is high among intern nursing students. Educational background, attitudes towards the nursing major and coping styles show significant associations with the likelihood of experiencing workplace bullying. Given the cross-sectional nature and single-center design, these findings should be considered preliminary and require validation in broader contexts.