Page 109 - Petelin, Ana. 2024. Ed. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | Health of the Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik prispevkov z recenzijo | Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press

Participants
Participants were recruited via healthcare professional groups in social net-
works for accessibility and relevance. Respondents received information on the
study’s purpose, objectives, and process. Using purposive sampling, the study
selected nurses who had experienced workplace bullying within the past 12
months. Ten nurses met the criteria and agreed to participate. Before the study,
all participants provided written consent covering the study’s purpose, process,
risks, benefits, confidentiality, interview duration, and the option to withdraw
or skip questions, ensuring informed and voluntary participation per ethical
standards. One interview was excluded due to inappropriate content. This left
nine participants with an average age of 34 years (range: 26-48). Of these, eight
were registered nurses and one was a secondary nurse. Four worked in prima-
ry healthcare, two in secondary, and three in tertiary care.

Data Collection 109
Data were collected in December 2023 using in-depth, semi-structured inter-
views in Slovene, conducted via Zoom, lasting up to 35 minutes each, without
third-party presence until data saturation was reached. The interviews explored
workplace bullying, including perpetrator and victim characteristics, triggers,
and impacts. The researcher prepared guiding questions in advance and asked
follow-up questions during the interview (Creswell in Creswell, 2017).

Data Analysis bullying and mobbing in nursing: a descriptive-interpretative analysis
Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, examining patterns and differ-
ences (Kiger in Varpio, 2020). Texts were transcribed and read multiple times
to understand bullying among nurses. Themes and sub-themes were identified
through open coding, determined through author discussions, with line-by-
line coding. To ensure trustworthiness, criteria of credibility, transferability,
reliability, and confirmability were applied (Bryman, 2016).

Results
Data analysis identified five themes: (1) causes of bullying, (2) experiences of
bullying in the workplace, (3) characteristics of both perpetrators and victims,
(4) strategies for responding to and coping with bullying, and (5) consequenc-
es of bullying.

Causes of Bullying
Respondents consistently cited the organizational environment, characterized
by low morale and poor working conditions, as a major risk factor for bullying.
They noted that poor management, unclear responsibilities, and rigid hierar-
chies contribute to a bullying atmosphere. Effective management in commu-
nication, relationship-building, and work quality is crucial. Bullying tends to