Patient Mistreatment, Work-family Conflict and Emotional Exhaustion among Nurses: A Moderated Mediation Model of Social Sharing and Perceived Organizational Support

Background: Nursing literature suggested that patient mistreatment has significant effects on nurses’ personal emotions and job burnout. Yet, further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying these associations and the spillover effects on nurses' families. This study combined the cognitive appraisal of stress and goal progress theory to explore the association between patient mistreatment, work-family conflict, and emotional exhaustion in nurses, as well as the mediating role of social sharing and the moderating role of perceived organizational support (POS). Methods: From October 9 to November 1, 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 1627 nurses from the Hematology Specialist Alliance of Chongqing during the COVID-19. Questionnaires were administered to collect demographic data, patient mistreatment, perceived organizational support, social sharing of negative work events, work-family conflict, and emotional exhaustion. Hierarchical linear regression and conditional processes were used to analyze the data. Results: Patient mistreatment was positively associated with work-family conflict (β=.314, p<.001) and emotional exhaustion (β=.354, p<.001). Social sharing of negative work events played a partial mediating role in the relationship between patient mistreatment, work-family conflict (effect=.077, SE=.014) and emotional exhaustion (effect=.067, SE=.013). Moderated mediation analysis found that the mediation effect was stronger when the perceived organizational support was high. Conclusion: Our findings reveal the amplifying effect of social sharing of negative events on nurses' work-family conflict and emotional exhaustion. Perceived organizational support strengthens the positive effects of patient mistreatment on the social sharing of negative work events, thus resulting in increased work-family conflict and emotional exhaustion. We also discuss practical implications, limitations, and directions for future research.