Exploration of Workplace Bullying among Nurses: A Focus on Clinical Settings

Abstract

Purpose: Healthcare practitioners in Saudi Arabia sometimes experience workplace bullying (WPB). However, more research on this issue must be carried out in the country. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of WPB and how individual factors among nurses contribute to different experiences of WPB in clinical settings. Methods: This cross-sectional quantitative study occurred among registered nurses in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was used, and nurses filled it out via a Google survey that included sociodemographic details such as age, gender, education, and the WBS to gauge the prevalence of workplace bullying in hospital settings. Results: Of 416 nurses, 58.7% were aged between 31 and 40, and 76.9% were women. The prevalence of WPB was found to be 54.8%. WPB was higher among middle-aged nurses, men, charge/managerial nurses, nurses with higher education, those with 3 to 6 years of experience, and those working in specialty units. Conclusions: More than half of the nurses had experienced WPB at some point. Middle-aged nurses, especially men with higher education and more experience in specialty units, were the most common victims of WPB compared to other registered nurses.