Physician heal thyself: physician bullying, work outcomes and the role of psychological safety

Purpose The study contributes to efforts to retain physicians and improve workplace dynamics in the healthcare industry, particularly in the context of the global physician shortage. We explored how physicians’ experiences of bullying impact their job satisfaction, work mood, and inclination to leave their current positions, as well as the possible role of psychological safety in mitigating these effects. Design/methodology/approach The study used a time-lagged design with 169 practicing physicians in the Southern USA. The three time lags were spaced three weeks apart. Findings The findings revealed that the levels of bullying experienced by physicians align with those in other professions. We also found that psychological safety plays a “safeguarding” role, as elevated levels of bullying did not negatively affect physicians’ outcomes when they felt psychologically safe to take interpersonal risks at work. Conversely, doctors with lower psychological safety reported lower job satisfaction and higher levels of work-related depression in high-bullying environments. Originality/value This study helps inform efforts to address the global shortage of doctors and supports initiatives to retain physicians in critical healthcare roles. Given the rising doctor shortage crisis, we explored outcomes of physician bullying – a major interpersonal stressor that contributes to physician shortage and physicians’ mental and physical health concerns. The study makes a significant contribution to the bullying literature, as prior bullying literature has focused on auxiliary occupations. Redirecting attention to high-status occupations helps us understand bullying more broadly, given the distinct set of occupational pressures inherent to these roles.