Objectives: The purpose of this research was to investigate the phenomenon of mobbing and its impact on the job satisfaction of medical and nursing staff in two major public hospitals in Patra, Greece.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2024, with a sample of 180 out of 220 nurses and doctors (response rate: 82%). The study utilized two questionnaires: the Leymann Inventory of Psychological Terror (LIPT) and the Kuopio University Hospital Job Satisfaction Scale (KUHJSS). Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 21.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences).

Results: The medical and nursing staff in both hospitals experiences various forms of mobbing, which negatively impact their job satisfaction. Specifically, in the past 12 months, 44.4% of health professionals reported experiencing mobbing, while 96% reported experiencing psychological violence. Additionally, 63.3% of health professionals witnessed psychological violence against another person in their workplace during the same period. Among those who experienced mobbing, 25% reported it occurring at least once a week, 15% reported it occurring rarely, and 15% almost daily. Moreover, 55.8% stated that they continue to face harassment incidents today, with most incidents originating from supervisors or individuals in higher hierarchical positions (64%). Harassment incidents were mainly perpetrated by women (33.3%), and the majority of the sample discussed these incidents with colleagues (41.7%). Additionally, 30.6% attributed the harassment incidents to a generally poor workplace atmosphere, 27.2% to jealousy, and 25.6% to poor work organization.

Regarding job satisfaction, health professionals were more satisfied with motivation, leadership, and team spirit, but less satisfied with the work environment. Notably, health professionals who had not experienced mobbing in the past 12 months were more satisfied with the work environment compared to those who had experienced mobbing.

Moreover, health professionals who had not experienced psychological violence in the past 12 months were more satisfied with leadership, the work environment, motivation and team spirit compared to those who had experienced psychological violence.

Also, health professionals who had not witnessed psychological violence against another person in their workplace during the same period were more satisfied with leadership, the work environment and team spirit compared to those who had witnessed psychological violence against another person in their workplace.

Nurses and contractors had experienced more frequently psychological violence in the past 12 months than doctors and permanents respectively while health professionals without higher hierarchical positions had witnessed more frequently psychological violence against another person in their workplace compared to those who had higher hierarchical positions.

Additionally, employees with secondary education experienced mobbing more frequently than those with postgraduate or doctoral degrees.

Conclusions: Mobbing is prevalent in both hospitals at high rates, significantly negatively impacting employees’ job satisfaction. This should prompt hospital administrations to implement measures to prevent and reduce this phenomenon.