Workplace violence in the field of nursing during the pandemic: a network analysis

The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of occupational violence among nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional study with a sample of 2,188 workers. We used the secondary database Psychosocial Risks among Workers in the SESAB Care Network, focusing on data collected using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) and a sociodemographic and occupational questionnaire. Precision/correlation matrices were created using the EBICglasso estimator and represented by positive (blue) and negative (red) edges. Indices of centrality (betweenness, closeness and strength) and expected influence were calculated. The variables with the strongest impact on the organization and maintenance of the network of workplace violence were C24 (Have you been pressured not to claim something to which by right you are entitled?), C8 (Have offensive remarks been made about your person?), C9 (Have you been shouted at or target of spontaneous anger?) and C11 (Have you received hints or signals from others that you should quit your job?). Understanding specific variables in working relationships in the nursing work environment can help public managers develop strategies to address these factors and promote worker protection.