Mediating Effects of Anger Expression in the Relationship of Work Stress with Burnout among Hospital Nurses Depending on Career Experience

Abstract

Objectives This study examined the mediating effects of anger expression in the relationship between work stress and burnout among nurses with more than or less than 3 years of career experience. Methods A cross‐sectional study was conducted with 454 nurses working at three university hospitals in South Korea. Nurses completed a survey consisting of demographic questions, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Work Stress Scale, and the Korean version of the Anger Expression Inventory. A multiple‐group mediation analysis was performed using structural equation modeling. Results: In total (N = 454), work stress directly affected burnout, and all anger expressions indirectly affected the relationship of work stress with burnout. Different mediating effects of anger expression style according to career experience were shown; anger‐out and anger‐in in nurses with less experience (n = 184) and only anger‐in in those with more experience (n = 270) partially mediated the relationship of work stress with burnout. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance The indirect effect of anger‐in style was higher than other anger expression styles in all nurses; suppression of anger caused by work stress can increase burnout. Anger‐out played a functional role in the relationship of work stress with burnout among nurses who had less career experience. Therefore, to reduce burnout, creating a work environment with collaborative culture including authentic leadership and providing anger management programs will help to manage nurses’ anger properly. For new nurses, promoting work and life balance, and creating a culturally empowering work environment to help them use anger‐out expression constructively, are important to reduce burnout.

Work stress and perceived organisational support on young Korean nurses’ care for COVID-19 patients

“…Therefore, nurses’ work stress during the pandemic should be evaluated from the perspective of occupational health. Studies confirm a relationship between work stress, social support, and more work experience among nurses ( Adekanmbi & Ukpere, 2020 ; Lee et al, 2021 ). Perceived organisational support refers to employees’ perception that organisations acknowledge their contributions ( Robaee et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Similar to many countries, the Korean healthcare system has experienced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic ( Heo et al, 2021 ), with a significant impact on healthcare institutions, requiring more frontline healthcare providers and increased work capacity ( Liu et al, 2020 ). As burdens on overextended healthcare systems intensified and the pandemic prolonged, healthcare providers increasingly struggled because of high intensity demands and mental health issues, including depression and burnout ( Kakemam et al, 2021 ; Lee et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Nurses who care for COVID-19 patients can experience serious distress, anxiety, and depression ( Wang et al, 2020 ). Work-related stress during the COVID-19 pandemic predicts anxiety, depression, and burnout among healthcare providers ( Lee et al, 2021 ). Therefore, nurses’ work stress during the pandemic should be evaluated from the perspective of occupational health.…”

‘They all stay with me’—An interpretive phenomenological analysis on nurses’ experiences resuscitating children in community hospital emergency departments

“…However, in some cases, participants experienced increased cynicism and anger towards other patients and those in their personal life. Anger has been identified as a grief reaction in nurses coping with the death of a patient, and nurse burnout following stressful situations may in part be mediated by suppressing this emotion (Khalaf et al, 2018; Lee et al, 2021). Knowing this, it is important for nursing leaders to allow for a safe space for nurses to verbalise their anger following paediatric resuscitations.…”

Fast-food restaurant employees’ demographics variances regarding counterproductive work behaviours in Cairo

“…This result is consistent with previous studies (Glomb & Liao, 2003;Henle, 2005;NG & Feldman, 2008;Dirican & Erdil, 2016;Pletzer, 2021), which found that adult workers engage in more CWBs than older employees. A possible explanation for this result is that it makes sense that as people get older and more experienced, their levels of anger decrease because they learn how to deal with it more effectively (Lee et al, 2021). Furthermore, evidence suggests that senior employees are more trustworthy than younger ones (Hauk et al, 2019).…”