Workplace bullying in nursing: towards a more critical organisational perspective

Abstract

Workplace bullying in nursing: towards a more critical organisational perspective Workplace bullying is a significant issue confronting the nursing profession. Bullying in nursing is frequently described in terms of 'oppressed group' behaviour or 'horizontal violence'. It is proposed that the use of 'oppressed group' behaviour theory has fostered only a partial understanding of the phenomenon in nursing. It is suggested that the continued use of 'oppressed group' behaviour as the major means for understanding bullying in nursing places a flawed emphasis on bullying as a phenomenon that exists only among nurses, rather than considering it within the broader organisational context. The work of Foucault and the 'circuits of power' model proposed by Clegg are used to provide an alternative understanding of the operation of power within organisations and therefore another way to conceive bullying in the nursing workforce.

Confronting Safety Gaps Across Labor and Delivery Teams

“…And yet, research has shown it can be difficult to speak up across professions, especially when power gradients exist 25 as they do within labor and delivery teams.…”

“…The experience of organizational violence can be powerful in silencing witnesses as well as direct recipients because it undermines psychological safety. 25 Organizational violence has been found across healthcare professions, including horizontal aggression among nurses, 25 intimidation of residents, 26 physicians' disruptive behavior, 27 and managerial bullying. 25 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), The Joint Commission, and others have called for health care organizations to formally manage disruptive behaviors, [28][29][30][31] and build positive partnerships to improve patient outcomes and experience in childbirth.…”

“…25 Organizational violence has been found across healthcare professions, including horizontal aggression among nurses, 25 intimidation of residents, 26 physicians' disruptive behavior, 27 and managerial bullying. 25 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), The Joint Commission, and others have called for health care organizations to formally manage disruptive behaviors, [28][29][30][31] and build positive partnerships to improve patient outcomes and experience in childbirth. 32 Surveys are available to measure unit-and hospital-level safety culture, 33,34 and several programs are available to help facilities improve communication and teamwork (e.g.…”

Cyberbullying and a Mobile Game App? An Initial Perspective on an Alternative Solution

“…Workplace cyberbullying can negatively affect not only the individual or victim but also lead to an increase of employee turnover and decrease the commitment of employees within an organization [21]. One of the researcher from the study also highlighted that "those that had experienced cyberbullying tended to have higher mental strain and lower job satisfaction".…”

With All Our Growth, Sadly, Bullying Continues in Every Aspect of Nursing

“…Numerous stories of bullying from nursing students, academician, administrators and nursing clinician alike have been shared with this writer. The stories range from comments such as, "this is a nursing lounge and you are a student so LEAVE", to new faculty being totally ignored by other faculty and/or leaders and senior nursing researchers yelling at and demeaning junior faculty researchers (Hutchinson et al, 2006). Sadly, bullying impacts not only the retention of nurses in hospitals and other settings as noted in the literature (Seibel, 2013) but bullying influences the future direction and choices of students pursuing a nursing degree (Randle, 2003).…”