Experiences of bullying among nursing students during clinical practice: a scoping review of qualitative studies.

Abstract

Bullying in the clinical setting has become a significant issue for nursing students. The experience of bullying during clinical practice can negatively affect students' mental and physical health, as well as their professional development. Nursing students are often targets of verbal abuse, intimidation, and discrimination from various individuals in the clinical environment. This behavior not only harms individual students but also affects the quality of patient care. The aim of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of bullying toward nursing students, identify research gaps, and offer recommendations for future research. This study employed a scoping review method, with articles sourced from four major databases: CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The main keywords used included "bullying," "nursing students," "clinical practice," and "verbal violence." Inclusion criteria were studies with nurse participants, original research articles, and published within the last 10 years (2015-2024). Data were manually extracted using tables and analyzed through a qualitative descriptive approach. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria. This scoping review focuses on the findings of an exploration of the experiences of bullying experienced by nursing students, identifies research gaps, and provides suggestions for future research. Findings showed that nursing students experience various forms of bullying, including verbal violence and intimidation, often triggered by power imbalances in interactions with clinical staff and mentors. The impact of bullying is not only detrimental to students' mental health, but also affects their academic performance and quality of learning. Research gaps found include a lack of studies on the direct relationship between bullying and clinical assessment outcomes, as well as a lack of understanding of effective strategies to address bullying. This study recommends the need for clearer anti-bullying policies and transparent reporting systems, as well as further research to explore the impact of bullying in the context of nursing culture and education system.