Challenges of respect as promoting healthy work environment in nursing: A qualitative study

CONTEXT: An increasingly common complaint of staff nurses in hospitals is not receiving respect. One of the strategies to create a healthy and positive work environment is to strengthen the respectful behaviors among nurses. AIMS: This study aims to explore the barriers of respect in nursing workplace. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This qualitative content analysis was carried out at the School of Nursing and Midwifery of Golestan University of Medical Sciences. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The semi-structured interview method was employed in this qualitative study on 14 nursing staff in 2018. We transcribed the interviews verbatim and analyzed them using the conventional content analysis approach. RESULTS: Data analysis led to the emergence of 377 primary codes, 13 categories, and 4 themes. The four themes were as follows: (a) feeling of ignored; (b) socio-cultural conditions in society; (c) lack of Support by Managers; (d) poor organizational climate. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing managers can promote a healthy work environment in the nursing workplace through recognizing these challenges and applying mitigation strategies and take benefits of their consequences such as self-efficacy, self-confidence, and organizational commitment.