The Relationship Between Workplace Incivility and Psychological Distress: The Moderating Role of Servant Leadership

Background: The relationship between workplace incivility and psychological distress among nurses has been well-documented in the nursing literature. Management practices to reduce the negative impact are less clear. This study aimed to examine perceived servant leadership as a moderator between workplace incivility and psychological distress among nurses in Chinese hospitals. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design and was conducted between September and October 2020. We recruited 1,604 nurses from 13 Chinese hospitals across different regions in China ranging from 18 to 55 years in age (M = 28.48 years, SD = 6.53 years). Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the data. Findings: The results showed that workplace incivility (β = 0.40, p < .001) and perceived servant leadership (β = −0.13, p < .001), as well as their interaction (β = −0.11, p = .002), predicted nurses’ psychological distress. Perceived servant leadership moderates the relationship between workplace incivility and psychological distress. Conclusions/Application to Practice: Servant leaders can create an ethical work climate, display empathy and compassion, and facilitate resilience. Our findings can assist hospital management with support from occupational health providers to recruit, train, and assess nursing supervisors. Also, occupational health providers in collaboration with nursing administration can monitor incivility, psychological distress, servant leadership levels, and impact.