Workplace hazing in nursing – an integrative literature review

Objectives
This paper investigates existing knowledge about nursing students’ and nurses’
transition experiences from interacting with experienced workgroup members.

Design
An integrative literature review allowed for analyzing and synthesizing data relating to newcomers’ transition experiences based on research papers from organization theory and nursing.

Data sources
An electronic database search was performed in CINAHL, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PUBMED, Scopus, and Web of Science, published in English from 1989 to 2022. Papers were included based on pre-determined criteria, and 436 qualified for further examination. 112 papers underwent final analysis and synthesis.

Review methods
Papers selected for analysis were extracted onto a table. Critical appraisal was
conducted using three tools. Finally, papers were analyzed and synthesized using
thematic coding.

Results
Nursing students and nurses are typically exposed to the indirect and direct non-physical negative behavior of their experienced colleagues during the transition period, which has adverse effects on their personal and professional self-perception and relational quality expectations. The underlying motivation prioritizes the workgroup’s survival over the newcomer’s well-being, and its ambiguous nature leads to a motivational gap.

Conclusions
Applying the workplace hazing perspective to the nursing literature on newcomers’ transition experiences contributes to a nuanced understanding of the phenomenon and its underlying motivation, illuminating the motivational gap and ambiguous moral character. Furthermore, despite prioritizing the group’s welfare above that of the newcomer, hazing’s adverse individual outcomes might damage the workgroup due to the nursing shortage.