Stress preparation, coping style, and nurses' experience of being spurned by patients

The primary objective of the present study was To establish the external validity for the results obtained in laboratory studies on the reactions of spurned helpers, accomplished by an examination of the spurning-burnout linkage in practicing nurses. A second objective was to explore if stress preparation would help them deal with being spurned. The third objective was to assess if coping could buffer the adverse effects of being spurned on burnout. Two hundred and twelve practicing nurses in Hong Kong responded to a questionnaire measuring the variables of interest. The results provided support for the hypotheses.