Bullying in nursing: How has it changed over 4 decades?
Corresponding Author
Peter Hartin RN, BNSc, MNSt
Senior Lecturer
Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Care Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
Correspondence
Peter Hartin, Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Care Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorMelanie Birks RN, PhD, FACN
Professor
Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Care Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorDavid Lindsay BN, MEd (Admin.), PhD, FACN
Associate Professor
Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Care Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Peter Hartin RN, BNSc, MNSt
Senior Lecturer
Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Care Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
Correspondence
Peter Hartin, Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Care Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorMelanie Birks RN, PhD, FACN
Professor
Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Care Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorDavid Lindsay BN, MEd (Admin.), PhD, FACN
Associate Professor
Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Care Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Aim
This study sought to explore how bullying in the nursing profession in Australia has changed over four decades, and why it continues to persist.
Background
Bullying in nursing is recognized as a pervasive problem. While much attention has been given to demonstrating the existence and impact of bullying in the nursing profession, little is understood about the evolution of this phenomenon and factors that contribute to its persistence.
Methods
This study employed an historical methodology using the testimony method of data collection. Testimonies were collected online and via interview from seventy registered nurses across Australia. Data were analysed using a three-dimensional analysis to produce a chronological historiography.
Results
This study found that the antecedents, manifestations, responses to and impacts of bullying in the nursing profession changed according to context and over time. The findings shed light on the role of nurse managers in the prevention and appropriate management of bullying in the workplace.
Conclusion
Prevention and intervention approaches must be developed to combat the complex and changing factors that allow bullying to persist.
Implications for Nursing Management
This study shows the role that management plays in tackling the problem of bullying in nursing. It can no longer be acceptable for culture to be used as an excuse for unacceptable behaviour, nor for power to be abused to protect perpetrators of workplace bullying. The findings discussed in this paper reveal that inexperienced nurse managers are often ill-equipped to identify and manage bullying. Nurses in management positions must recognize and acknowledge this deficit if the problem of bullying is to be effectively tackled.
REFERENCES
- Aebersold, M., & Schoville, R. (2020). How to prevent the next generation of nurses from “Eating their young”. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 38, 27–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2019.10.002
- Arnetz, J. E., Sudan, S., Fitzpatrick, L., Cotten, S. R., Jodoin, C., Chang, C. H., & Arnetz, B. B. (2019). Organizational determinants of bullying and work disengagement among hospital nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 75(6), 1229–1238. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13915
- Becher, J., & Visovsky, C. (2012). Horizontal violence in nursing. MedSurg Nursing, 21(4), 210.
- Berry, P. A., Gillespie, G. L., Gates, D., & Schafer, J. (2012). Novice nurse productivity following workplace bullying. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 44(1), 80–87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2011.01436.x
- Birks, M., Budden, L. M., Biedermann, N., Park, T., & Chapman, Y. (2018). A ‘rite of passage?’: Bullying experiences of nursing students in Australia. Collegian, 25(1), 45–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2017.03.005
- Birks, M., Mills, J., Francis, K., & Chapman, Y. (2009). A thousand words paint a picture: The use of storyline in grounded theory research. Journal of Research in Nursing, 14(5), 405–417. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987109104675
10.1177/1744987109104675 Google Scholar
- Blackwood, K., Bentley, T., Catley, B., & Edwards, M. (2017). Managing workplace bullying experiences in nursing: The impact of the work environment. Public Money & Management, 37(5), 349–356. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2017.1328205
- Butler, E., Prentiss, A., & Benamor, F. (2018). Exploring perceptions of workplace bullying in nursing. Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal, 1(1), 19–25.
- D'Souza, N., Forsyth, D., Tappin, D., & Catley, B. (2018). Conceptualizing workplace cyberbullying: Toward a definition for research and practice in nursing. Journal of Nursing Management, 26(7), 842–850. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12614
- Duldt, B. W. (1981). Anger: An alienating communication hazard for nurses. Nursing Outlook, 29(11), 640–644.
- Etienne, E. (2014). Exploring workplace bullying in nursing. Workplace Health & Safety, 62(1), 6–11. https://doi.org/10.3928/21650799-20131220-02
- Farrell, G. A., & Shafiei, T. (2012). Workplace aggression, including bullying in nursing and midwifery: A descriptive survey (the SWAB study). International Journal of Nursing Studies, 49(11), 1423–1431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.06.007
- Firouzkouhi, M., & Zargham-Boroujeni, A. (2015). Data analysis in oral history: A new approach in historical research. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 20(2), 161.
- Gaffney, D. A., DeMarco, R. F., Hofmeyer, A., Vessey, J. A., & Budin, W. C. (2012). Making things right: Nurses' experiences with workplace bullying—A grounded theory. Nursing Research and Practice, 2012, 1–10.
10.1155/2012/243210 Google Scholar
- Gilbert, R. T., Hudson, J. S., & Strider, D. (2016). Addressing the elephant in the room. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 40(3), E1–E11. https://doi.org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000175
- Gillespie, G. L., Grubb, P. L., Brown, K., Boesch, M. C., & Ulrich, D. (2017). “Nurses eat their young”: A novel bullying educational program for student nurses. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 7(7), 11. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v7n7P11
- Guo, Y. F., Luo, Y. H., Lam, L., Cross, W., Plummer, V., & Zhang, J. P. (2018). Burnout and its association with resilience in nurses: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(1–2), 441–449. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13952
- Hartin, P., Birks, M., & Lindsay, D. (2018). Bullying and the nursing profession in Australia: An integrative review of the literature. Collegian, 25(6), 613–619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2018.06.004
- Hartin, P., Birks, M., & Lindsay, D. (2019). Bullying in nursing: Is it in the eye of the beholder? Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 20(2), 82–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527154419845411
- Hoffman, R. L., & Chunta, K. (2015). Workplace incivility: Promoting zero tolerance in nursing. Journal of Radiology Nursing, 34(4), 222–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2015.09.004
10.1016/j.jradnu.2015.09.004 Google Scholar
- 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. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2010.03602.x
- Hutchinson, M., & Jackson, D. (2013). Hostile clinician behaviours in the nursing work environment and implications for patient care: A mixed-methods systematic review. BMC Nursing, 12(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6955-12-25
- Hutchinson, M., & Jackson, D. (2015). The construction and legitimation of workplace bullying in the public sector: Insight into power dynamics and organisational failures in health and social care. Nursing Inquiry, 22(1), 13–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12077
- Hutchinson, M., Vickers, M. H., Wilkes, L., & Jackson, D. (2009). “The worse you behave, the more you seem to be rewarded”: Bullying in nursing as organizational corruption. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 21(3), 213–229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-009-9100-z
10.1007/s10672-009-9100-z Google Scholar
- Hutchinson, M., Vickers, M. H., Wilkes, L., & Jackson, D. (2010). A typology of bullying behaviours: The experiences of Australian nurses. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19(15–16), 2319–2328. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2009.03160.x
- Johnson, A. H., & Benham-Hutchins, M. (2020). The influence of bullying on nursing practice errors: A systematic review. AORN Journal, 111(2), 199–210. https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.12923
- Johnson, S. L., & Rea, R. E. (2009). Workplace bullying: Concerns for nurse leaders. Journal of Nursing Administration, 39(2), 84–90. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0b013e318195a5fc
- Karatza, C., Zyga, S., Tziaferi, S., & Prezerakos, P. (2016). Workplace bullying and general health status among the nursing staff of Greek public hospitals. Annals of General Psychiatry, 15(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12991-016-0097-z
- Langtree, T., Birks, M., & Biedermann, N. (2019). Separating "fact" from fiction: Strategies to improve rigour in historical research. Forum, Qualitative Social Research, 20(2), 1–17.
- Laschinger, H. K. S., Grau, A. L., Finegan, J., & Wilk, P. (2010). New graduate nurses' experiences of bullying and burnout in hospital settings. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(12), 2732–2742. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05420.x
- Lee, Y. J., Bernstein, K., Lee, M., & Nokes, K. M. (2014). Bullying in the nursing workplace: Applying evidence using a conceptual framework. Nursing Economics, 32(5), 255.
- Livne, Y., & Goussinsky, R. (2018). Workplace bullying and burnout among healthcare employees: The moderating effect of control-related resources. Nursing & Health Sciences, 20(1), 89–98. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12392
- Marć, M., Bartosiewicz, A., Burzyńska, J., Chmiel, Z., & Januszewicz, P. (2019). A nursing shortage–A prospect of global and local policies. International Nursing Review, 66(1), 9–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12473
- McGrath, C., Palmgren, P. J., & Liljedahl, M. (2019). Twelve tips for conducting qualitative research interviews. Medical Teacher, 41(9), 1002–1006. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2018.1497149
- Mitchell, A., Ahmed, A., & Szabo, C. (2014). Workplace violence among nurses, why are we still discussing this? Literature review. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 4(4), 147–150. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v4n4p147
10.5430/jnep.v4n4p147 Google Scholar
- Moore, L. W., Leahy, C., Sublett, C., & Lanig, H. (2013). Understanding nurse-to-nurse relationships and their impact on work environments. MedSurg Nursing, 22(3), 172.
- Oh, H., Uhm, D. C., & Yoon, Y. J. (2016). Workplace bullying, job stress, intent to leave, and nurses' perceptions of patient safety in South Korean hospitals. Nursing Research, 65(5), 380–388. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000175
- Patterson, P. (2007). Lateral violence: Why it's serious and what OR managers can do. OR Manager, 23(12), 1–7.
- Roberts, S. J. (1983). Oppressed group behavior: Implications for nursing. Advances in Nursing Science, 5(4), 21–30. https://doi.org/10.1097/00012272-198307000-00006
- Rowell, P. A. (2007). Lateral violence: Nurse against nurse. American Nurses Association Continuing Education.
- Sauer, P. A., & McCoy, T. P. (2018). Nurse bullying and intent to leave. Nursing Economics, 36(5), 219–226.
- Sommer, B. W., & Quinlan, M. K. (2018). The oral history manual. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
- Spector, P. E., Zhou, Z. E., & Che, X. X. (2014). Nurse exposure to physical and nonphysical violence, bullying, and sexual harassment: A quantitative review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51(1), 72–84.
- Speziale, H. S., Streubert, H. J., & Carpenter, D. R. (2011). Qualitative research in nursing: Advancing the humanistic imperative. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
- Vessey, J. A., DeMarco, R. F., & DiFazio, R. L. (2010). Bullying, harassment, and horizontal violence in the nursing workforce: The state of the science. Annual Review Nursing Research, 28, 133–157. https://doi.org/10.1891/0739-6686.28.133
- Vessey, J. A., DeMarco, R. F., Gaffney, D. A., & Budin, W. C. (2009). Bullying of staff registered nurses in the workplace: A preliminary study of developing personal and organizational strategies for the transformation of hostile to health workplace environments. Journal of Professional Nursing, 12, 299–306.
- Volk, A. A., Dane, A. V., & Marini, Z. A. (2014). What is bullying? A theoretical redefinition. Developmental Review, 34(4), 327–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2014.09.001
- Westbrook, J., Sunderland, N., Atkinson, V., Jones, C., & Braithwaite, J. (2018). Endemic unprofessional behaviour in health care: The mandate for a change in approach. Medical Journal of Australia, 209(9), 380–381.
- Wright, W., & Khatri, N. (2015). Bullying among nursing staff: Relationship with psychological/behavioral responses of nurses and medical errors. Health Care Management Review, 40(2), 139–147. https://doi.org/10.1097/HMR.0000000000000015
