Patient Mistreatment and Depersonalization of Nurses: A Moderated Mediation Model of Person–Organization Fit and Resilience
4 affiliations
- 1School of Economics and Business Administration Chongqing University Chongqing China cqu.edu.cn
- 2Medical Insurance Office Hospital of Chongqing University Chongqing China nenu.edu.cn
- 3Medical Center of Hematology Military Key Clinical Specialty State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning Chongqing Key Clinical Specialty Chongqing Key Laboratory of Hematology and Microenvironment Xinqiao Hospital of Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University) Chongqing China
- 4Development and Planning Department Chongqing Medical University Yu Zhong District Chongqing 400000 China cqmu.edu.cn
Abstract
Background: Mistreatment by patients frequently occurs, threatening the well‐being of nurses and the interests of medical organizations. However, insufficient research has been conducted to determine the mechanisms underlying the association between patient mistreatment and nurses’ depersonalization.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of patient mistreatment on depersonalization in nurses, as well as the mediating role of person‐organization fit and the moderating role of trait resilience.
Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional survey and adopted convenience sampling to recruit nurses from the Hematology Specialist Alliance of Chongqing. The formal online survey was distributed via Wenjuanxing from October to November 2022, and the platform was configured to allow only one submission per IP address. In total, 1627 nurses completed the online survey. The data were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis and the bootstrap method to test mediation and moderation effects.
Results: Patient mistreatment was negatively associated with person–organization fit (β = −0.164, p < 0.001) and positively related to depersonalization (β = 0.584, p < 0.001). Person–organization fit was negatively associated with depersonalization (β = −0.368, p < 0.001) and partially mediated the relationship between patient mistreatment and depersonalization (indirect effect = 0.0602, 95% CI [0.0346, 0.0882]). The indirect association linking patient mistreatment to depersonalization via person–organization fit differed by resilience level (Index = −0.0208, 95% CI [−0.0382, −0.0076]), with smaller magnitude associations observed at higher resilience.
Conclusion: This study illustrates that nurses who experience patient mistreatment may perceive a decrease in the degree of person–organization fit and become depersonalized; however, nurses with higher resilience are less exposed to such adverse effects.
Implications for Nursing Management: Supportive work environments and resilience training programs should be provided to improve nurses’ coping capabilities when facing patient mistreatment.
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BibTeX
@article{yan2026patient,
title = {{Patient Mistreatment and Depersonalization of Nurses: A Moderated Mediation Model of Person–Organization Fit and Resilience}},
author = {Wei Yan and Shini Zhang and Di Xiao and Lu Tang and Huan Wang and Xin Du},
journal = {Journal of Nursing Management},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1155/jonm/7439162},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1155/jonm/7439162},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Patient Mistreatment and Depersonalization of Nurses: A Moderated Mediation Model of Person–Organization Fit and Resilience
AU - Wei Yan
AU - Shini Zhang
AU - Di Xiao
AU - Lu Tang
AU - Huan Wang
AU - Xin Du
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Journal of Nursing Management
DO - 10.1155/jonm/7439162
UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/jonm/7439162
AB - Background: Mistreatment by patients frequently occurs, threatening the well‐being of nurses and the interests of medical organizations. However, insufficient research has been conducted to determine the mechanisms underlying the association between patient mistreatment and nurses’ depersonalization. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of patient mistreatment on depersonalization in nurses, as well as the mediating role of person‐organization fit and the moderating role of trait resilience. Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional survey and adopted convenience sampling to recruit nurses from the Hematology Specialist Alliance of Chongqing. The formal online survey was distributed via Wenjuanxing from October to November 2022, and the platform was configured to allow only one submission per IP address. In total, 1627 nurses completed the online survey. The data were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis and the bootstrap method to test mediation and moderation effects. Results: Patient mistreatment was negatively associated with person–organization fit (β = −0.164, p < 0.001) and positively related to depersonalization (β = 0.584, p < 0.001). Person–organization fit was negatively associated with depersonalization (β = −0.368, p < 0.001) and partially mediated the relationship between patient mistreatment and depersonalization (indirect effect = 0.0602, 95% CI [0.0346, 0.0882]). The indirect association linking patient mistreatment to depersonalization via person–organization fit differed by resilience level (Index = −0.0208, 95% CI [−0.0382, −0.0076]), with smaller magnitude associations observed at higher resilience. Conclusion: This study illustrates that nurses who experience patient mistreatment may perceive a decrease in the degree of person–organization fit and become depersonalized; however, nurses with higher resilience are less exposed to such adverse effects. Implications for Nursing Management: Supportive work environments and resilience training programs should be provided to improve nurses’ coping capabilities when facing patient mistreatment.
SN - 0966-0429
SN - 1365-2834
ER -