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.