Association between nurses’ experiences of workplace incivility and the culture of safety of hospitals: A cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Aim and Objectives: This article examined the association between workplace incivility experiences of nurses and patient safety (PS) culture in hospitals. Background: Workplace incivility, which is characterised by low-intensity behaviours with unclear intention to harm and disruption of workplace ambiance of mutual respect, may threaten the work environment, resulting in an unhealthy and unsafe workplace. Design: Cross-sectional study. Method: This study surveyed 261 nurses in Saudi Arabia from June 2019 to August 2019 using the ‘Hospital Survey of Patients’ Safety Culture’ and the ‘Nurse Incivility Scale’. A multiple linear regression was performed with unit- and hospital-level PS culture as the dependent variables. Results: ‘Organizational learning–continuous improvement’ and ‘Teamwork within units’ were recognised as PS culture strengths. The nurses reported workplace incivility from patient/visitor as the most frequently experienced (mean = 2.27, standard deviation = 0.88). Working in Hospital B (ß = 0.24, p