Being ordered to do work below your level of competence: Workplace Bullying and Self- Concept of neonatal nurses

Introduction: The professional self-concept of neonatal nurses may play an important role in the adaptation and better care of infants, considering that nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) continue their professional work despite numerous sources of bullying. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between workplace bullying and nurses' self-concept in the NICU. Methods The present study was a descriptive-correlation correlational study conducted from January to December 2023 with 200 nurses working in the neonatal intensive care unit. The data was collected using questionnaires containing socio-demographic and work-related data, a questionnaire on self-perception of the nursing profession and a questionnaire on bullying and negative actions in the workplace. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 16 software. Results The results showed that workplace bullying was among the neonatal nurses (M = 59.45, SD = 16.96). The mean score of self-concept among the neonatal nurses was (M = 215.23, SD = 40.94). Workplace bullying is also inversely related to professional self-concept and almost all of its dimensions, as shown by the Pearson correlation coefficient (p = 0 < 001, r = − .394). Also hierarchical regression analyses show that the only significant variable: self-concept with a standardized coefficient β=-0.306 indicates an inverse relationship with workplace bullying. Conclusion The results of this study showed that neonatal intensive care unit nurses experience workplace bullying to the same extent as nurses in other settings such as the emergency department and psychiatry. Given the physical, psychological, and organizational effects of workplace bullying on neonatal nurses and its effects on their professional self-concept and, consequently, the impact on the quality of care for infants and parents, workplace bullying by nurses should not be ignored.