Abusive supervision and employee well-being of nursing staff: Mediating role of occupational stress

Aim: The study examined whether occupational stress mediated the relationship between abusive supervision and well-being of nursing staff. Design: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered. Methods: Data were collected at three-time points between July 2020 and January 2021. A total of 313 valid responses were obtained from nurses working in a general hospital in Taiwan. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation analysis and the bootstrap method. Results: Abusive supervision was positively associated with occupational stress (beta = 0.288, SE = 0.069, 95% CI [0.152, 0.423]) and negatively associated with employee well-being, including psychological (beta = -0.350, SE = 0.084, 95% CI [-0.515, -0.186]), physical (beta = -0.301, SE = 0.080, 95% CI [-0.459, -0.143]) and social well-being (beta = -0.422, SE = 0.121, 95% CI [-0.661, -0.183]). Occupational stress was negatively related to employee well-being. A mediation analysis with bootstrapping revealed that occupational stress mediated the relationship between abusive supervision and employee well-being, which included psychological (95% bootstrap CI [-0.183, -0.046]), physical (95% bootstrap CI [-0.212, -0.062]) and social well-being (95% bootstrap CI [-0.178, -0.040]). Conclusion: Abusive supervision influences employee well-being. Occupational stress mediates the relationship between abusive supervision and employee well-being. To improve employee well-being, hospital administrators should develop policies for effectively managing nursing supervisors' abusive behaviour and subordinates' stress management. Impact: Abusive supervision increased the occupational stress of employees and influenced their well-being. Thus, educational courses should be implemented to train supervisors to practice positive leadership and treat employees fairly. Promoting stress management among nursing staff may lead to the prompt reporting of abusive events and improved employee well-being. No Patient or Public Contribution: This study investigated the relationship between the abusive supervision and employee well-being of nursing employees. No patient or public contribution is involved in this study.

Automated summary

This study examined the influence of abusive supervision on employee well-being and the mediating role of occupational stress. The results showed that abusive supervision was positively correlated with occupational stress and negatively correlated with employee well-being. Occupational stress mediated the relationship between abusive supervision and employee well-being, including psychological, physical, and social well-being. To improve employee well-being, hospital administrators should address abusive behaviors among nursing supervisors and promote stress management among nursing staff.