Workplace verbal abuse, nurse-reported quality of care, and patient safety outcomes among early-career hospital nurses.
This article reports results of a national survey of early-career hospital nurses exploring the relationship between verbal abuse experience (perpetrated by patients, family, physicians, and other staff) and nurse-reported patient care quality and safety outcomes. Verbal abuse experience differed by nurse gender and age. Nurses who experienced verbal abuse were less likely to report high-quality care and favorable safety grade and were less likely to report safety problems. Organizations should provide education to recognize and respond to nurses’ verbal abuse experiences.