title: Workplace bullying in health care affects the meaning of work.
abstract: Our purpose in this grounded theory study was to explore the impact of workplace bullying (WPB) on women working in health care. We analyzed interviews with 21 women, professionals and nonprofessionals. The women experienced a change in their meaning of work (MOW) when they had experienced WPB, and they addressed this change through a process we called the shifting meaning of work. This process has three stages. The first, developing insight, involves recognizing causes of changed MOW as external. In the second stage, resisting, women defend against changed MOW by sustaining acceptable MOW and work performances, and by confronting causes. In the final stage, rebuilding, women try to adapt and modify approaches to work by coming to terms, adjusting work attitudes, and investing in self. We identified implications of this process for managing health and work issues with women, health care providers, and employers.
authors.affiliation: University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. macintsh@unb.ca
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: MacIntosh
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wuest
authors.forename: Marilyn Merritt
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cronkhite
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D019359:Knowledge; D008875:Middle Aged; D010684:Philosophy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult