Workplace Incivility and Nurses' Health: The Mediating Role of Positive and Negative Affect

Nurses are particularly vulnerable to workplace incivility, a form of deviant behavior that can evolve into severe workplace mistreatment. Although the psychological and organizational consequences of incivility have been documented, its impact on health, particularly through emotional pathways, remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the association between workplace incivility and nurses' self-rated health, focusing on the mediating roles of positive and negative affect-broad emotional states reflecting energy and engagement, and distress and unpleasant emotions, respectively. This descriptive correlational study used survey data from 301 nurses in South Korea. Generalized structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized relationships between workplace incivility, affective responses, and health. Workplace incivility was significantly associated with reduced positive affect (b = -0.41, p < 0.001) and increased negative affect (b = 2.78, p < 0.001). While positive affect was positively related to self-rated health (b = 1.58, p < 0.001), negative affect was negatively associated (b = -0.50, p = 0.017). Both affective responses significantly mediated the relationship between workplace incivility and health (indirect effects: -0.65, p < 0.001; -1.38, p = 0.022, respectively). Even subtle forms of incivility can adversely relate to nurses' self-rated health through emotional states, such as reduced positive affect and increased negative affect. Fostering a respectful workplace and promoting emotional well-being may support nurses' health. These findings extend affective events theory to health outcomes, an area rarely explored in nursing research. No patients or the general public were involved.