Workplace Bullying: Silent Epidemic in Nursing
The purpose of this website is to educate nurses about bullying and incivility in the workplace. This educational website will provide current information on what defines of bullying/incivility, behaviors associated with bullying, its consequences, and strategies to combat bullying.
Bullying is commonly understood to be a phenomenon that only occurs during childhood, but a recent U.S. study found that 30 to 50%
of workers in the United States reported experiencing one act of bullying at least weekly in a 6-12 month period( Lutgen-Sandvik, Tracey, & Alberts, 2007). Workplace bullying is reported in many professional fields, with researchers reporting a high number of occurrences in the healthcare field, specifically among nurses working in hospital settings (Craig, 2008). In a landmark study on aggression in the clinical setting of the 270 nurses that responded to the survey, 30% reported experiencing aggression on a daily basis or near daily basis.
Of those incidents, 25% were recorded as nurse-to nurse aggression (Farrell, 1999).
The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) in 2004 issued a position statement calling for zero tolerance toward bullying and incivility, along with standards for establishing and sustaining healthy workplace environments. A key component of this position is that a healthy work environment is a shared responsibility between the individual and an organization.
Nurses are the individuals that can make the difference!
As a profession devoted to promoting compassionate care for others we must do the same for each other!
As a profession, we need to examine ourselves, the causes for bullying, and find ways to stop bad behaviors in the workplace to create a safe and healthy workplace environment.
"All cruelty springs from weakness"
(Seneca, 4BC-AD65)
Bullying is commonly understood to be a phenomenon that only occurs during childhood, but a recent U.S. study found that 30 to 50%
of workers in the United States reported experiencing one act of bullying at least weekly in a 6-12 month period( Lutgen-Sandvik, Tracey, & Alberts, 2007). Workplace bullying is reported in many professional fields, with researchers reporting a high number of occurrences in the healthcare field, specifically among nurses working in hospital settings (Craig, 2008). In a landmark study on aggression in the clinical setting of the 270 nurses that responded to the survey, 30% reported experiencing aggression on a daily basis or near daily basis.
Of those incidents, 25% were recorded as nurse-to nurse aggression (Farrell, 1999).
The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) in 2004 issued a position statement calling for zero tolerance toward bullying and incivility, along with standards for establishing and sustaining healthy workplace environments. A key component of this position is that a healthy work environment is a shared responsibility between the individual and an organization.
Nurses are the individuals that can make the difference!
As a profession devoted to promoting compassionate care for others we must do the same for each other!
As a profession, we need to examine ourselves, the causes for bullying, and find ways to stop bad behaviors in the workplace to create a safe and healthy workplace environment.
"All cruelty springs from weakness"
(Seneca, 4BC-AD65)
