Investigating the Impact of Horizontal Violence on Nurses' Job Burnout

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted in the southwest region of Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China, has identified a significant correlation between inter-nurse horizontal violence and job burnout among nurses. The study, led by RenLong Liang from the Department of Neurology at Deyang Hospital Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, aimed to explore the intrinsic relationship between horizontal violence and burnout, as well as the mediating role of psychological detachment. The survey, conducted from November to December 2024, recruited nurses from five tertiary first-class public hospitals in the region and analyzed data using SPSS 27.0 and its macro program Process v4.2.

Key Takeaways:

  • Inter-nurse horizontal violence is a significant predictor of job burnout among nurses, with a positive correlation between the two.
  • Psychological detachment has been identified as playing a partial mediating role in the association between inter-nurse horizontal violence and job burnout, with the mediating effect accounting for 44.73% of the total effect.
  • A sense of professional mission weakens the negative prediction of horizontal violence on psychological detachment and the positive prediction of horizontal violence on job burnout.
  • Nurses with a strong sense of professional mission are more likely to overcome the distress caused by horizontal violence, enabling them to have a higher degree of psychological detachment, recover during rest, and thus reduce job burnout.
  • Enhancing nurses' sense of professional mission and psychological detachment ability is beneficial for alleviating job burnout among nurses.
  • The study's findings suggest that addressing horizontal violence and promoting a sense of professional mission among nurses can reduce job burnout and improve overall well-being.
  • The study's sample consisted of 1,500 nurses from five tertiary first-class public hospitals in the southwest region of Sichuan Province.

Statistics:

  • 44.73% of the total effect between inter-nurse horizontal violence and job burnout is mediated by psychological detachment.
  • 1,500 nurses participated in the survey from November to December 2024.
  • The study employed a cross-sectional survey method to recruit nurses from five tertiary first-class public hospitals in the southwest region of Sichuan Province.
  • The mediating effect of psychological detachment is significant, with a positive correlation between inter-nurse horizontal violence and job burnout.

Sources:

  • The impact of horizontal violence among nurses on their job burnout: a moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Public Health, 2025;13:1633956.
  • NewsRx. Findings from Department of Neurology Broaden Understanding of Public Health (The impact of horizontal violence among nurses on their job burnout: a moderated mediation model). Psychology & Psychiatry Journal. October 25, 2025; p 892.