Frontline Fallout in Chinese Healthcare: Does Negative Beneficiary Contact Harm Nurses' Mental Health?

Aim: This study aims to explore whether, how, and when negative beneficiary contact (NBC) harms nurses' mental health.

Design: This was a quantitative time-lagged study, collecting data across three distinct time points.

Method: We collected data from 422 nurses in 2024, conducting a series of hierarchical regression analyses to test our hypothesis.

Results: The results revealed that NBC positively affects strain, which in turn mediates the negative relationship between NBC and nurses' mental health. More importantly, the influence of nurses' resilience and supervisors' appreciation moderates these relationships. Specifically, when nurses are less resilient or receive less appreciation from their supervisors, NBC demonstrates a strong positive association with strain and mental health issues. In contrast, for nurses with higher resilience or with supervisors who demonstrate higher appreciation, this impact is nonsignificant.

Conclusion: The results indicated that NBC leads to psychological problems of nurses via increased strain. Nurses' resilience and supervisors' appreciation could buffer the negative impact of NBC on the nurse's mental health due to strain.

Impact: On the whole, this paper aims to examine the impact of NBC on nurses' mental health and potential remedies. By shedding light on this underexplored area, we hope to contribute to the broader discourse on improving working conditions for nurses and ensuring their mental well-being. Addressing this critical issue is not only vital for the health and safety of nurses but also for the sustainability of the healthcare system.

No patient or public contribution: Nurses from a hospital in China contributed to this study by completing questionnaires during non-working hours. No other participants were involved in the study.