The Experience of Clinical Nurses after Korea’s Enactment of Workplace Anti-Bullying Legislation: A Phenomenological Study

Workplace bullying is a global issue that has emerged over the past decades and is widespread all around the world. In Korea, there is a high prevalence of bullying in nursing. In 2019, Korea enacted its workplace anti-bullying legislation. This study explores the changes experienced by nurses after the enactment of the legislation and identifies problems and improvements. Qualitative research was conducted using the phenomenological analysis method proposed by Van Kaam. Twelve nurses with experience in working before and after the enactment of the legislation were selected as study participants. They worked in various departments in five general hospitals across Korea. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Data were collected using one-on-one interviews. These data were analyzed by extracting significant statements and classifying them into categories, themes, and subthemes. The analysis yielded 14 subthemes, five themes, and three categories. The three categories were “positive effect of the law”, “need for awareness of the law reform”, and “impracticalities of the law that caused chaos”. There is a difference between the theory of the law and how things happen in practice in actual nursing situations. Nurses have been educated about the new law, but better education with input from nurses themselves is needed. This study lays the groundwork for a quantitative study of the issue.