BMC Nursing (Oct 2023)

Nursing students’ experiences of workplace violence based on the perspective of gender differences: a phenomenological study

  • Jun Cao,
  • Hongbo Sun,
  • Ying Zhou,
  • Anqi Yang,
  • Xiaoshu Zhuang,
  • Jiaxian Liu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01551-y
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 22, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

Read online

Abstract Background Workplace violence is a worldwide concern, and particularly affects nursing students. It has a seriously negative impact on nursing students’ clinical learning experience and their physical and mental health. This study explored whether there are differences in psychological responses and coping styles among different gender nursing students after exposure to workplace violence, and investigated the causes for these differences. Methods We enrolled 22 nursing undergraduates from Guangzhou Medical University and Zunyi Medical University, China. Phenomenological qualitative research and online semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data were analyzed by the Colaizzi seven-step content analysis method. Results Two categories were collated: psychological experience and coping styles. Three themes of the former were extracted: negative emotional experience, low level of professional identity, and negative effect on self-efficacy. Two themes of the latter: responses to violence and adjustment after violence. In addition, fourteen subthemes were extracted. Conclusions Different gender nursing students have different psychological experience and coping styles in the face of workplace violence. The causes of the differences are likely related to sociocultural factors and psychological gender status.

Keywords