The Effects of Operating Room Nurses’ Experiences of Verbal Violence, Resilience, and Social Support on Post-Traumatic Stress

Background/Objectives: Operating room (OR) nurses are frequently exposed to high-stress environments, including verbal violence, which may induce post-traumatic stress (PTS). This study investigated the effects of verbal violence, resilience, and social support on PTS among OR nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted with 150 OR nurses who had at least one year of work experience. Data were collected via a mobile-based questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS Statistics 25. The main variables included experiences of verbal violence (from doctors and nurses), resilience, social support, and OR work satisfaction. Results: Exposure to verbal violence from doctors and nurses, as well as having 10 or more years of clinical experience, were significantly associated with higher PTS levels. In contrast, greater OR work satisfaction was associated with lower PTS. These variables collectively explained 36.6% of PTS variance (F = 8.64, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Verbal violence significantly contributes to PTS among OR nurses. Enhancing resilience and social support may mitigate the impact of PTS. Therefore, interventions such as structured peer-support systems, resilience training, and violence-prevention policies are recommended to reduce PTS risk. In addition, interventions to prevent verbal violence, and strengthen resilience and social support, and OR work satisfaction are crucial to protect nurses’ mental health and ensure patient safety.