Workplace Mobbing Among Nurses in Slovakia: The Impact of Education, Workplace Type, and Job Position

Introduction

Workplace bullying, a widespread phenomenon, significantly impacts interpersonal relationships, mental health, professional performance, and organizational efficiency in healthcare. Defined as repeated behaviors intended to intimidate or degrade, bullying thrives in hierarchical, high-stress environments like hospitals, where nurses face disproportionate risk. Such behaviors harm morale, increase turnover, and jeopardize patient safety through errors and negligence. Understanding its prevalence and contributors is essential for fostering healthier work environments and improving healthcare outcomes.

Methods

This cross-sectional descriptive study followed the STROBE guidelines. A Slovak adaptation of the Negative Act Questionnaire-Revised, developed as part of this study, was administered to nurses, resulting in a final sample of 244 participants. Spearman's correlation and Welch's ANOVA tests analyzed variable relationships using jamovi software.

Results

Nearly one-third of nurses were victims of bullying (32.2%, >45 points), with another third experiencing occasional bullying (32.2%, 33–44 points). The median score per responder was 38 (IQR: 23), with person-related bullying scoring highest (median 19, IQR: 13). Younger nurses with less experience reported higher mobbing levels (p < 0.001). Nurses in frontline roles (operating rooms, intensive care units, and surgical units) experienced significantly more bullying than those in outpatient clinics (p = 0.01). Doctoral degree holders had the lowest mobbing scores (p < 0.001), while nurses in frontline roles reported higher mobbing levels than Ward/Charge Nurses (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The study highlights a significant correlation between nurses’ experiences of mobbing and factors such as age, experience, education, position, and workplace type. The high incidence of bullying among Slovak nurses requires immediate attention from healthcare leaders.

Implications

To address workplace bullying, healthcare institutions should implement zero-tolerance policies, provide ongoing education in professional conduct, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution and integrate these topics into nursing curricula. Leadership should model respectful behavior, while mentorship frameworks and resilience training support novice nurses. Finally, accessible reporting systems must ensure accountability.