Workplace Gaslighting Is Associated with Nurses' Job Burnout and Turnover Intention in Greece

Abstract

Νurses often experience abusive behavior, such as gaslighting, which has a negative impact on their mental health and leads them to quit their jobs. Background/Objectives: We evaluate the impact of workplace gaslighting on nurses' job burnout and turnover intention. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample of 410 nurses in Greece. We used the Gaslighting at Work Scale (GWS) to measure levels of workplace gaslighting in our sample. Also, we used the single-item burnout measure to measure job burnout and a six-point Likert scale to measure turnover intention. We constructed multivariable regression models to estimate the independent effect of workplace gaslighting on job burnout and turnover intention. Results: We found positive correlations between GWS and job burnout (r = 0.298, p-value < 0.01) and turnover intention (r = 0.385, p-value < 0.01). We found that workplace gaslighting was associated with job burnout in our sample. Our multivariable linear regression model identified a positive association between the score on the GWS (adjusted b = 0.653, 95% CI = 0.436 to 0.869, p < 0.001) and burnout. Similarly, we found that a higher score on the GWS was associated with a higher turnover intention (adjusted b = 0.616, 95% CI = 0.466 to 0.765, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study findings indicate that nurses encounter gaslighting behaviors that adversely impact their job burnout and turnover intentions. Healthcare institutions are urged to implement policies that raise awareness about this conduct, facilitate avenues for staff to report it, and exhibit zero tolerance for abusive behaviors, including gaslighting.

Keywords: Gaslighting at Work Scale; job burnout; nurses; turnover intention; workplace gaslighting.