Abstract
Background: Perceived occupational stigma may influence nurses’ professional identity, job satisfaction, and retention, yet evidence among practising nurses in Vietnam remains limited. This study examined perceived occupational stigma and its associated factors among hospital nurses.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 165 hospital nurses. Data were collected using the 16-item Nurse Occupational Stigma Scale (NOSS), participants also completed measures of career commitment, organisational support, job satisfaction, and a structured questionnaire on sociodemographic and work-related characteristics. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, correlation and hierarchical multiple linear regression were performed.
Results: The mean NOSS score was 34.11 ± 6.66 (range: 17 – 53). Among the three dimensions, Devaluation and Discrimination had the highest mean item score, followed by Negative Label and Nurse– Patient Relationship. Perceived occupational stigma was negatively correlated with career commitment (r = −0.23, p = 0.003) and perceived organisational support (r = −0.19, p = 0.012). Nurses who were satisfied with their jobs reported lower perceived occupational stigma than those with neutral job satisfaction (p = 0.011). In hierarchical regression, career commitment was a significant correlate of perceived occupational stigma in the initial model (β = −0.17, p = 0.038), but associations attenuated after adding job satisfaction; the final model explained 8% of variance in perceived occupational stigma.
Conclusion: Perceived occupational stigma was associated with career commitment, organisational support, and job satisfaction at the bivariate level, although these factors explained only a limited proportion of variation in stigma. The findings highlight the importance of professional recognition and supportive work environments alongside broader efforts to improve public perceptions of nursing.
| Published | 2026-11-15 | |
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| Issue | Vol. 16 No. S-3 (2026) | |
| Section | Original Articles | |
| DOI | 10.34071/jmp.2026.S-3.24 | |
| Keywords | perceived occupational stigma, nurses, nurse occupational stigma scale, career commitment, organisational support, job satisfaction |

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