Prevalence of workplace bullying in a population of nurses at three Italian hospitals

Negative behaviors could be considered as a risk index of workplace bullying; researching on these events is useful for the planning of preventive interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of negative actions in a population of nurses and their possible association with issues related to mental health. We administered a proper questionnaire, based both on the NAQ-R and on the GHQ12, to 206 subjects, who worked in three hospitals, located in the center and south of Italy. Our results confirmed that the nursing profession presents a clear bullying risk in the workplace, without any notable differences regarding gender or demographics. The prevalence of negative actions was noteworthy, mainly with regard to the job position and the task. Our study also showed that workplace bullying may interfere with the overall health of nurses, particularly connected to psycho-emotional issues.