Workplace verbal abuse, nurse-reported quality of care and patient safety outcomes among early-career hospital nurses

Aims: To examine the differences in early-career nurses' verbal abuse experiences based on their sociodemographic characteristics, and to investigate the associations of verbal abuse experiences with nurse-reported care quality and patient safety outcomes.

Background: Few studies have examined the relationships between early-career nurses' verbal abuse experiences and nurse-reported patient care quality and safety outcomes.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey data from 799 early-career hospital nurses in the United States were analysed. Items assessed verbal abuse experiences from patients or their families, physicians and other employees. Associations between verbal abuse experiences and nurse-reported care quality and patient safety outcomes were examined using multiple logistic regression analyses.

Results: There were significant differences in verbal abuse experiences by age, gender and work unit. Nurses who experienced verbal abuse, regardless of the perpetrator, were less likely to report high-quality care and a favourable safety grade. Nurses who experienced verbal abuse specifically from physicians or other employees were also less likely to feel comfortable reporting safety problems.

Conclusion: Managing verbal abuse may be important for improving patient care quality and safety. Future intervention study is needed to reduce verbal abuse.

Implications for nursing management: To optimize patient safety, managers should thoroughly monitor verbal abuse and organisations' need to establish clear expectations and ramifications for when verbal abuse occurs.