Introduction: Negative behaviors in nursing undermine well-being, erode team cohesion, and jeopardize patient safety. Rooted in systemic stressors—workload, emotional strain, and power imbalances—they have far-reaching effects on job satisfaction and care quality. Objective: To systematically map the scientific evidence on negative behaviors among nurses in healthcare organizations. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using five databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, and RCAAP (for grey literature). The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. Two independent reviewers conducted data extraction and synthesis. Results: Eighteen studies published between 2017 and 2024 met inclusion criteria from an initial pool of 88 references. Eleven thematic domains emerged: (1) the cycle of violence; (2) victims profile; (3) perpetrator profile; (4) negative behaviors spectrum; (5) negative behaviors prevalence; (6) risk predictors; (7) protective predictors; (8) impact of negative behaviors on nurses; (9) impact of negative behaviors on patients; (10) impact of negative behaviors on healthcare organizations; (11) organizational strategies and the role of the nurse managers. Conclusions: The findings highlight the multidimensional nature of negative behaviors and the variability in how they are defined and assessed. This review highlights the need for conceptual clarity and standardized tools to address negative behaviors in nursing. Nurse managers, as key organizational agents, play a critical role in fostering psychological safety, promoting ethical leadership, and ensuring accountability. System-level strategies that align leadership with organizational values are essential to protect workforce well-being and safeguard patient care.

Negative behaviors in nursing - including bullying, incivility and lateral violence - pose substantial threats to the well-being of nurses, caregivers and organizations alike. This scoping review aims to map the scientific evidence relating to these behaviors in healthcare settings. A systematic search was carried out using CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection and RCAAP as grey literature according to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and presentation according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Data extraction and synthesis was carried out independently by two reviewers. Of the 88 initial references, 18 studies published between 2017 and 2024 met the inclusion criteria and reported a total of 10 measurement instruments and 6 thematic domains to characterize negative behaviours among nurses. The domains found in the literature were: Spectrum of Negative Behaviors; Prevalence of Negative Behaviors; Protective and Risk Factors of Negative Behaviors; Profiles of Victims and Aggressors; Impacts of Negative Behaviors; The Nurse Manager in Mitigating Negative Behaviors. The diversity of instruments and domains highlights the multidimensionality and scope of negative behaviors in nursing. The diversity of instruments and domains highlights the multidimensionality and scope of negative behaviors in nursing. Their conceptual heterogeneity prevents comparability between institutions and health units, underlining the urgent need for standardization, clear operational definitions and validated instruments to guide evidence-based interventions.