Workplace Violence, Burnout, and the Mediating Role of Interprofessional Collaboration Among Nurses in Acute Care: A Scoping Review.

PURPOSE: Workplace violence (WPV) and occupational burnout among frontline nurses represent systemic crises that fundamentally threaten multidisciplinary team dynamics and global patient safety. This scoping review aims to map and synthesize the empirical evidence regarding the triadic interaction among WPV, burnout, and interprofessional collaboration (IPC) dynamics among nurses in acute care settings.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. A comprehensive search was performed across three electronic databases (PubMed, EBSCOhost, and ScienceDirect) without publication year restrictions. From an initial 467 records, 13 primary studies involving clinical nursing populations met the eligibility criteria and underwent a descriptive narrative synthesis.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrate that recurrent exposure to WPV encompassing both external aggression from patients/visitors and internal horizontal violence is directly associated with severe emotional exhaustion and increased turnover intentions. Crucially, IPC serves as the definitive mediator in shaping psychosocial outcomes. Dysfunctional medical hierarchies and professional dominance foster structural disempowerment, exacerbating the destructive cycle of trauma and a pervasive "blame culture". Conversely, a supportive IPC climate, characterized by collegial teamwork and transparent communication during care transitions (e.g, handoffs), functions as a robust psychological shield that neutralizes the impacts of aggression and enhances mental resilience.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights that IPC acts as a dualistic mechanism, functioning either as a catalyst for systemic stress or a vital buffer against burnout among nurses in acute care settings. To safeguard nurses and optimize patient outcomes, management must decisively pivot from individual-focused resilience training toward systemic organizational restructuring.