Workplace Violence Safety Perception, Occupational Stress, and Emotional Exhaustion Among Nurses: Relationships with Psychological Resilience

Background: Nurses’ perceptions of trust and safety regarding violence in healthcare may be related to occupational stress and emotional exhaustion. This study aimed to examine the relationships between workplace violence safety perception, occupational stress, emotional exhaustion, and psychological resilience among nurses. Methods: This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 419 nurses working in public hospitals. The questionnaire included a sociodemographic form and four standardized scales. Pearson correlation and regression-based indirect-effect analyses were performed. Results: Occupational stress was positively associated with emotional exhaustion, whereas psychological resilience was negatively associated with both occupational stress and emotional exhaustion. Indirect-effect analyses showed statistically significant indirect associations between workplace violence safety perception and both occupational stress and emotional exhaustion when psychological resilience was included in the models. Conclusions: The findings suggest that workplace violence safety perception, psychological resilience, occupational stress, and emotional exhaustion are interrelated among nurses. More positive perceptions of workplace violence safety were associated with greater psychological resilience, while higher psychological resilience was associated with lower levels of occupational stress and emotional exhaustion. Because of the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal relationships. Implications for Practice: Healthcare institutions should develop security policies to prevent violence, effective incident reporting systems, psychosocial support services, and programs that strengthen psychological resilience.