Relative Effects of Multiple Sources of Violence and Incivility: Organizational and Individual Consequences

Workplace violence and incivility threaten nurses' mental health, well-being, and organizational outcomes. This study examined how different sources of mistreatment - patients, coworkers, physicians, and managers - influence these outcomes over time.

A sample of 321 nurses completed surveys at two time points, nine months apart. Simple linear regression and relative weights analyses assessed the roles of patient violence and various sources of incivility on mental health, well-being, job search behavior, and affective organizational commitment.

All forms of mistreatment negatively affected depression and life satisfaction. Patient violence and incivility had minimal impact on organizational outcomes, whereas incivility from coworkers, physicians, and managers more strongly predicted increased job search behavior and reduced organizational commitment.

Targeting coworker and supervisor incivility through interventions and organizational policies may improve nurse outcomes, patient safety, and quality of care.