Work

Patient mistreatment and new nurse adjustment: The role of rumination and work engagement

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: During organizational entry, newcomers often draw upon internal resources like coworkers and supervisors to navigate their roles. Could external interactions with customers or patients hold the key to newcomer adjustment in certain job contexts? Our study, rooted in the conservation of resources theory, identifies a critical link between mistreatment from external parties and newcomer adjustment—a connection that is explained by rumination and work engagement. Through two studies involving new nurses in China (Study 1: four-wave cross-lagged panel design, N = 181; Study 2: four-wave time-lagged design, N = 198), we uncover that mistreatment from patients results in rumination among newcomers, leading to diminished task mastery and role clarity, as mediated by reduced work engagement. This ripple effect of external mistreatment persists even when accounting for internal mistreatment (abusive supervision and coworker incivility). Our results illustrate how negative interactions with external entities can hinder newcomer adjustment—a revelation with far-reaching implications for practitioners and future research. 1

Source: Human Relations

DOI: 10.1177/00187267231211847

Authors: Hai-Jiang Wang, Peikai Li, Talya N Bauer, Berrin Erdogan

Institutions: Huazhong University of Science and Technology, University of Leeds, Portland State University, University of Exeter

Language: English

Topic: Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior

Subfield: Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,500