Nurse to Nurse Bullying: A Sepsis in Healthcare

Nurse to nurse bullying threatens the safety and well-being of patients and nurses. The misconduct is a major problem causing 60% of new nurses to leave their first nursing position, and 1 in 3 nurses to quit the profession.  Sometimes the bullying is so subtle it is almost invisible yet causes cumulative damage to the targeted nurse as well as those nurses who witness the behavior.  The Joint Commission requires healthcare organizations seeking accreditation to address the misconduct. Yet, healthcare is notoriously known for not preventing the behavior or intervening when it occurs.  What should you do if you are targeted or a witness to the behavior?  If you are a nurse leader, what are your responsibilities to prevent and intervene on the bullying occurring in your environment? Nurses, as mostly women, bully in ways that are often subtle and covert yet the behavior has a negative cumulative effect on their ability to work with their colleagues and to provide quality patient care.

Learning Objectives

• To define nurse to nurse bullying
• To discuss bullying within nursing practice incorporating The Joint Commission’s Patient Safety Standard, Nursing Social Policy Statement, Nursing Code of Ethics, and the Scope and Standards of Nursing Practice
• To identify theories, causes and contributing factors of bullying in nursing
• To list the steps to follow when bullying occurs
• To discuss nursing leadership’s role in the prevention and intervention of bullying