Linking abusive supervision to service sabotage through work alienation in nurses: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Abusive supervision has detrimental effects on nurses, but the mechanisms connecting abusive supervision to negative outcomes for nurses have not been well-established in the nursing literature. This study aimed to investigate whether work alienation mediates the relationship between abusive supervision and nurses' service sabotage. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from November to December 2021 with 204 nurses working at a teaching hospital in Damanhour, Egypt. Data were collected using a demographic information form, the Abusive Supervision Scale, the Work Alienation Scale and the Service Sabotage Scale. Study hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation modelling. Our findings revealed a significant association between abusive supervision, work alienation, and service sabotage among nurses. Abusive supervision was found to be linked to nurses' service sabotage through work alienation. Our study suggests that nurses who are subject to abusive supervision are more likely to feel alienated, which increases the probability of them engaging in behaviours that have a negative impact on the quality of care they provide. No patient or public contribution.