The Role Of Bullying In Nursing

Bullying in the profession of nursing has been increasing over the past years (Matt, 2012). Bullying has been identified in different professions, but it has been a focus in the profession of nursing over the past decades. It occurs because of what is known as a “power differential” and is evident in nursing in the commonly heard phrase, “nurses eat their young”. Bullying in the workplace is characterized as the on-going health career-endangering mistreatment of an employee, by one or more of their peers or higher-ups and reflects the misuse of actual/and or perceived power or position the undermines a nurse’s ability to succeed or do good, or leaves them feeling hurt, frightened, angry or powerless (American Nurses Association, 2015). Many
All types are seen in nursing, but the most common one is top-down. The second one is lateral, and the last one is bottom-up. Examples of bullying behaviors include, verbal aggression, withholding information, withholding job responsibility, trivial fault-finding, replacing proper work with demeaning job task, setting unrealistic goals or deadlines, rumors, social isolation, personal attack of a person’s private life and/or personal attributes, excessive or unjustified criticism, and over-monitoring of work. Bullying also includes physical violence, threatening, finding fault, ethnic jokes or slurs, blaming and intimidation, and name calling (Adams & Maykut,
Bullying can lead to lower job satisfaction, absenteeism, errors, chronic disease, weight gain, mental illnesses, substance abuse, and even suicide (Matt, 2012). A sentinel event is an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury (Coile, 2016). In 2008 the Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert suggesting that poor communication, lack of teamwork and ineffective management of conflict among health professions are top contributors sentinel events (Coile, 2016).
Ways to reduce bullying include, educating nurses on the effects of bullying to themselves and other nurses. Teach coping skills especially to new nurses, to help them to confront perpetrators calmly and assertively. Implement anti-bullying policies, zero tolerance to bullying. Remind nurses of the facilities anti-bullying policies. Provide nurses that have been victims of bullying with support, counseling, and educational material.