Leadership Implications Related to Bullying and Intent to Leave Among Licensed Practical Nurses

OBJECTIVE This study examines the relationship between bullying and intent to leave among a sample of LPNs as mediated by exhaustion, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. BACKGROUND Bullying incidents may negatively impact the well-being, commitment, and retention for LPNs. METHODS A cross-sectional survey design was used. A total of 168 questionnaires (19.65% response rate) were analyzed, performing Pearson correlation, mediation, and hierarchical regression tests. RESULTS LPNs reported a relatively high score on exhaustion and were somewhat committed to their organization. They were fairly satisfied with the job and unlikely to leave it. The model explained 72% of the variance in intent to leave, with commitment, exhaustion, and bullying being the strongest correlates. CONCLUSIONS Nursing leadership needs to implement antibullying language in policies, institute communication and self-leadership trainings, model authentic leadership, and foster ethical climates to support the retention of LPNs.