Bullying in the nursing work environment: integrative review

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the studies that approach bullying in the nursing practice environment. Method: Integrative review, conducted between April and December 2018, by combining the descriptors "bullying/bullying" AND "nursing/nursing/nurse" AND "workplace/workplace". We identified 224 studies of which 38 met the inclusion criteria. Results: The studies on nursing bullying presented three main approaches related to the prevalence in nursing practice, the repercussions for health and professional development, and the construction of theoretical models for bullying and nursing work environment variables. Conclusion: Bullying is a negative behavior present in the nursing practice environment and has a direct impact on professional performance, impairing general health and professional performance. Despite being a behavior with recognized negative potential in the work environment, few studies propose effective actions to prevent or control this phenomenon in health institutions.

Prevalence, Antecedents, and Consequences of Workplace Bullying among Nurses—A Summary of Reviews

“…However, this review is not without its limitations. First, we excluded several reviews that did not focus primarily on nurses, were published outside the last ten years, did not specify any systematic review methodology, or were published in non-English language [ 1 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. We acknowledge that this could potentially result in the omission of several systematic reviews and their findings.…”

Predictors of moral harassment in nursing work in critical care units

“…Failure to address the problem of harassment also limits the contribution that nurses can make to the health service and prevents future nurses from entering or remaining in the profession, as well as harming and belittling countless good people who want to make a difference and care for others (26) . Thus, early identification in the professional practice environment can offer subsidies to health service managers for the development of prevention and control programs of this behavior in health institutions (6) . Efforts to combat bullying at work among nurses and staff need to include training in legitimate methods of performance analysis, workshops on how to interact with various co-workers, and examining how nursing teaching practices contribute to the perpetuation of bullying in clinical settings (9) .…”

“…Disruptive behaviors in healthcare work involve incivility and psychological violence, in addition to physical or sexual violence (2,5) ; and, many times, are treated as synonyms of bullying at work. Researchers reviewed the attributes of this phenomenon in nursing and found characteristic behaviors of incivility, psychological aggression and moral harassment (6)(7) .…”

Assédio moral entre trabalhadores brasileiros da atenção primária e hospitalar em saúde

“…(13)(14)(15) Estudos indicam que a exposição a comportamentos de assédio moral gera consequências para o indivíduo e sua profissão como um todo. (16,17) Os resultados revelam o impacto do fenômeno na saúde dos trabalhadores e no desempenho profissional, bem como no atendimento ao paciente. (16,17) Dessa forma, o assédio moral no local de trabalho é um fenômeno a ser considerado pelos gestores e equipes de saúde ocupacional.…”

“…(16,17) Os resultados revelam o impacto do fenômeno na saúde dos trabalhadores e no desempenho profissional, bem como no atendimento ao paciente. (16,17) Dessa forma, o assédio moral no local de trabalho é um fenômeno a ser considerado pelos gestores e equipes de saúde ocupacional. (1) A identificação de comportamentos negativos nas relações interpessoais no trabalho pode subsidiar iniciativas para prevenir o assédio moral no local de trabalho.…”