Workplace Silent Behavior Among Nurses: Its Motives And Its Relation To Engagement And Thriving At Work

Background: Workplace silent behavior constitutes a significant threat to organizational ethics and
success. Also, it can cause harm to organizations and nurses as hidden damage to the safety of
patients, minimizing nurses’ performance, engagement, and thrive at workplace. Aim: The present
study aimed to assess the motives of nurses` work place silent behavior and investigate the
relationship between workplace silent behavior, engagement and thriving among nurses at work.
Design: A descriptive explanatory research design will be utilized to conduct this study. Sample:
Convenient sample of 97 nurses who agreed to participate in the study were included. Setting: The
current study was conducted in 185 for emergency and burns hospital at Al-Kasr Al-Aini Hospital,
Cairo University Hospitals. Tool: Three tools were used; I. Workplace silent behavior and its
motives scale; II. Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES); and III. Thriving at Work Scale.
Results: Slightly less than half of the nurses reported high levels of overall workplace silent
behavior. Moreover, the majority of staff nurses perceived low level of overall work engagement.
Furthermore, the majority of nurses perceived low level of thriving at workplace. Conclusion: The
study findings concluded that, there was a statistically significant negative correlation between the
workplace silent behavior, its motives and other two variables (engagement and thriving at work).
On the other hand, there was a highly statistically significant positive correlation detected between
engagement and thriving at work. Recommendation: Nurse Managers should establish strategies to
encourage speaking up behavior in the workplace and enhance interactions, engagement,
collaborative relationships and teamwork among nurses. In addition, the organization should
develop an educational strategy to make nurses more aware about silent behavior, its motives, and
its relations to nurses’ engagement and thrive at workplace.