Workplace psychological violence among intern nursing students and its relationship with professional commitment: the moderating role of gender

Background The quality of clinical nursing services and the retention of nursing talent depend heavily on intern nurses’ dedication to their careers. A clinical internship is an essential phase in the development of nurses’ commitment to their careers. As a prevalent detrimental element in the clinical setting, workplace psychological violence is seen as a significant factor influencing intern nurses’ degree of professional dedication. Although gender variations may cause nurses to perceive psychological violence differently and use different coping mechanisms, it is unclear how these differences moderate the association between psychological violence and professional commitment. Objective Examine the relationship between intern nursing students’ professional commitment and psychological violence at work, analyzing how gender influences this relationship. Method A total of 1,095 intern nurses from 14 medical institutions in Shandong Province were included as study subjects by using the convenience sampling method. The survey was conducted through an electronic questionnaire. The research tools included the Nursing Professional Commitment Scale and the Psychological Violence Behavioiur scale for nursing students (WPVB). Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between workplace psychological violence and professional commitment among nursing staff. Stratified multiple linear regression models and mixed regression models including the interaction effect of WPVB × gender (and covariates) were used to test the moderating role of gender on the relationship between them. A two-sided p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result The Pearson correlation analysis showed that workplace psychological violence (WPVB) was negatively correlated with professional commitment among intern nurses. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the negative association between WPVB and professional commitment was statistically significant only among female intern nurses, whereas no significant correlation was found in the male group. However, mixed linear regression models incorporating the WPVB × gender interaction term and demographic and sociological covariates revealed that the interaction term was not statistically significant across all stepwise regression models (Model 1: Estimate = −0.022, p = 0.7424; Model 2: Estimate = −0.019, p = 0.7742; Model 3: Estimate = −0.040, p = 0.53898), indicating that gender did not significantly moderate the relationship between WPVB and professional commitment among intern nurses. Conclusion Workplace psychological violence (WPVB) is a prevalent issue among nursing interns, negatively impacting their professional commitment. Although female interns report higher incidences of WPVB compared to male counterparts, gender does not significantly mediate the relationship between WPVB and professional commitment. This indicates that targeted intervention strategies should be developed by nursing educators and managers to mitigate workplace psychological violence and bolster the professional commitment of nursing interns.