Bullying Nurses

         Many nurses who have experienced bullying have considered leaving or have

left the profession, contributing to the national nursing shortage (Huntington et al;

2011) . Negative workplace relationships can disrupt team performance, create a

work environment that can lead to burnout, and poor patient outcomes. The

repeated conflict may make the person experience symptoms of depression and

even post-traumatic syndrome. Bullying may be described as publically or privately

demeaning of another employee. These actions may include hostile remarks, verbal

attacks, threats , taunts, intimidation, and withholding of support (McNamara 2012).

Recent investigations support that bullying is fairly wide spread at 65%-80%

of nurses surveyed (Stagg et al; 2011) unfortunately bullying and workplace

violence is seldom reported by the victim. Student nurses reported feeling

powerless and humiliated as they begin to incorporate into the clinical settings with

professional nurses. New graduate nurses experiencing bullying reported a higher

level of absenteeism and consider leaving the profession altogether (Curtis et al;

2007).

This topic hit close to home for me because as a new graduate nurse I was a

victim of bullying by my senior charge nurse. I was made fun of that I worked too

slow in administering medications and doing treatments. She would say to me,

“you have bad time management, when other nurses float on your assignment they

leave on time”.   If I did not do something because I did not know, she would report me to the

DNS.  If I tried to explain for any reason she would say, “ I don’t want to hear it, there is no

excuse.”If I suggested a different way of doing something, she would shut me down by

saying,” we have been doing it this way for years.” At times I would be so depressed,

and eventually wanted to quit. However, I never reported it because she and the

Director of Nursing were good friends and had worked together for years. What

ever she said the Nursing Director believed her. One day I voiced my concerns

to the Assistant Director of Nursing and I was told that the charge nurse is close to

retirement; “so just hold on, she will be leaving soon”.

At that time I never realized that bullying in the work place was such a world

wide problem. Now when even I come into contact with a new graduate nurse I

would encourage them to speak up if they feel like they been bullied or treated

unfair. I have become an advocate for new nurses and I let them know that the organization

has a no bullying policy and theyshould familiarize themselves with it. It’s a disgrace to the

nursing profession thatwe use the term, “nurses eat their Young” instead we should be

embracing,nurturing and supporting our young nurses.

 

References

   Curtis, J., Bowen, I., & Ried, A. (2007). You have no credibility: Nursing students’

experiences of horizontal violence. Nurse Education in Practice, 7(3), 156-163.

 

Huntington, A., Gilmour, J., Tuckett, A., Neville, S., Wilson, D., & Turner, C. (2011). Is anybody

listening? A Qualitative study of nurses/ reflections on practice. Journal of Clinical Nursing,

20(9-10), 1413-1422. doi:10.111/j. 1365-2702.2010.03602.x

 

Stagg, S.J., Sheridan, D., Jones, R.A., & Speroni, K.G. (2011). Evaluation of a workplace bullying

cognitive rehearsal program in a hospital setting. Journal of Continuing Education In

Nursing,  42(9), 395-401. doi:10.3928/00220124-20110823-45.