Antecedents and consequences of bullying among nurses: a review study

Abstract

Background and aims: Workplace bullying is an occupational hazard with destructive effects. The aim of this study was to assess the antecedents and the consequences of bullying among nurses. Methods: This narrative review was conducted in 2021. An online literature search was performed in several Persian and English databases, namely Magiran, SID, Noormags, Elmnet, IranMedex, PubMed, and Scopus. Search protocol was limited to the time interval between 2010 and 2020. Search key terms were, "bullying", "coercion", "healthcare providers", "nurse", and "horizontal violence". Advanced search was also performed in Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria were publication in English or Persian, access to full-text, and publication as an original article. Results: Sixteen articles were included in this study. The two main antecedents of workplace bullying were personal and organizational factors and the three main consequences of bullying were physical, mental, and occupational consequences. Conclusion: As bullying is associated with different physical, mental, and occupational consequences, healthcare managers need to employ strategies to determine and manage bullying antecedents and reduce bullying prevalence.

Bad behavior in healthcare: an insidious threat to patients, staff, and organizations

“…At worst, reporting of UPB can result in complainants having their competency and 'resilience' challenged or being labelled as a 'troublemaker' [17,18]. Victim blaming or ignoring complaints is more common when perpetrators are powerful and have unique skills the organization is dependent upon [19] Healthcare professionals who identify as belonging to a minority group (women, ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity) remain more vulnerable to UPB [4 Junior and inexperienced staff are more likely to be victims of UPB [11,[14][15][16]21,22]. Junior staff 15,21,22].…”

“…Victim blaming or ignoring complaints is more common when perpetrators are powerful and have unique skills the organization is dependent upon [19] Healthcare professionals who identify as belonging to a minority group (women, ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity) remain more vulnerable to UPB [4 Junior and inexperienced staff are more likely to be victims of UPB [11,[14][15][16]21,22]. Junior staff 15,21,22]. Junior staff are further disadvantaged due to an absence of social connections and support during the early phases of their career [14].…”

“…Junior and inexperienced staff are more likely to be victims of UPB [11,14–16,21,22]. Junior staff describe feeling too disempowered and concerned for their careers to report exposure to rage, undermining, exclusion, and harassment in the clinical setting [5 ▪▪ ,15,21,22].…”

“…Junior and inexperienced staff are more likely to be victims of UPB [11,14–16,21,22]. Junior staff describe feeling too disempowered and concerned for their careers to report exposure to rage, undermining, exclusion, and harassment in the clinical setting [5 ▪▪ ,15,21,22]. Junior staff are further disadvantaged due to an absence of social connections and support during the early phases of their career [14].…”

“…The implications of UPB are serious, multifactorial, and impact all aspects of the healthcare system. Research over several decades demonstrates UPB has significant and dangerous outcomes for patients, victims, bystanders, the team, and the organization [5 ▪▪ ,6 ▪▪ ,7,10–15,21,23]. Irrespective of the type of UPB, these consequences are universal.…”