Sexual Harassment in Healthcare: Issues, Impact and Prevention Measures

This paper examines the issues due to sexual harassment in nursing professionals and gives the guidelines to prevent sexual harassment. It discusses the types of sexual harassment, impact of sexual harassment, and prevention measures.

Running head: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN HEALTHCARE
SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN HEALTHCARE
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Introduction
There should be efficient management in the healthcare organisation or hospitals to
deliver high-quality care towards the community along with the individuals. Human resource
managers should manage the safety of the employees. It will deliver efficient performance in
solving the critical issues that occur in the healthcare organisation. The rise in the incidence
of sexual harassment in the healthcare sector is generating more concern in restricting
healthcare professionals to deliver their duty. An unwelcome sexual nature or sexual
advances are referred to as sexual harassment. Any inappropriate sexual behaviour or favours
are the types of actions that come under sexual harassment. It is very crucial for the
management of healthcare facilities to incorporate effective guidelines along with policies to
prevent sexual harassment within the facilities. Therefore, every employee or worker of the
healthcare facility should know such guidelines and regulations that lead to strict action
against sexual harassment. This paper intends to examine the issues due to sexual harassment
in nursing professionals and gives the guidelines to prevent sexual harassment.
Guiding Standard
The healthcare leaders or human resource management should implement standards
on preventing sexual harassment that may occur within the healthcare settings or facilities.
There should be basic guidelines or standards that need to be implemented in the healthcare
organisation (berkeley.edu, 2020).
 Developing a safe working environment in the healthcare organisation
 Recruiting along with keeping the finest employee or worker by providing a
harassment-free workplace
 Facilitate employees or workers to work in a motivating along with a creative
environment

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Definition of Sexual Harassment
The definition of sexual harassment under the civil right is covering two different
aspects. The first type covered Quid pro quo and the second type is a hostile working
environment. Under the first category of sexual harassment, it includes the unwelcome
behaviour or contact along with any sexual requests or favour. In some scenario, any conduct
of unwelcome behavioural that implied on employment is also under sexual harassment. The
second category of sexual harassment covers a wider aspect of parameters that includes
unwelcome behaviour along with non-verbal, psychological or any physical sexual nature. If
any individuals hear or observe any sexual nature of sexual abuse that is affecting or
interfering the ability to perform their task or job, often leads to a hostile working
environment.
Types of Sexual Harassment
The sexual harassment can cause in any workplace irrespective to any industry.
However, healthcare industry is more vulnerable towards the incidences of sexual
harassment. According to Lockwood (2019), there are different types of sexual harassment
that are listed below.
 Verbal
The verbal sexual harassment includes sexual favours or request, any
inappropriate jokes, offensive remarks or spreading any sexual rumour of the
individual.
 Non-verbal
The non-verbal sexual harassment includes making any sexual gestures such
as any hand signals. More such illustration can be giving any inappropriate
looks, blocking the pathway or following the individual.

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 Psychological
Any repetitive undesired invitation or any proposals are requesting sexual
interaction. Such repetitive can often occur or results in anxiety or stress to the
individuals.
 Physical
This physical sexual harassment includes forcefully touching an individual.
Rape, hugging, patting and any other such activity includes in physical, sexual
harassment.
 Visual
Any sexually abuse posters, offensive pictures or pornography comes under
the visual sexual harassment.
Issues in Healthcare
According to Hussein, Mabrouk & Abed (2015), the healthcare sector has shown a
result in a higher rate of sexual harassment compared to an average rate of sexual harassment
in other industry. Krøjer, Lehn-Christiansen & Nielsen (2014), also stated that nurses
working in any nursing home, home care and elder care are more vulnerable towards sexual
harassment. In addition to this, sexual harassment in the healthcare industry is 13.59 per cent
as compared to other industry or other professionals that is 2.67 per cent. In case of patient
harassing the nursing professionals, then it will develop a feeling of hatred towards the
harasser. Therefore, necessary care tends to decrease as they find it difficult for becoming a
good caregiver. The activity of sexually harassing or sexually abusing can increase the
retention of talented healthcare professionals. Female healthcare professionals have to face
many issues such as gender discrimination. Moreover, apart from these, sexual harassment
has made more difficult for them to deliver high-quality performance in delivering the quality

4SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN HEALTHCARE
care to the community or individual. According to Hussein, Mabrouk & Abed (2015), states
that 87.3 per cent of nursing professionals are exposed to sexual harassment. Generally,
nursing professionals consists of female employees. However, in recent years the male
workforce in nursing professionals has increased in another level (Colmore et al., 2019).
Nursing professionals being male or female, both the gender becomes victim under sexual
harassment. However, the female workforce in nursing professionals is more vulnerable to
such sexual abuse or sexual offence.
Impact of sexual harassment
The major impact of sexual harassment in healthcare settings or any hospitals is on
nursing professionals. Nursing professionals harassed by patients or family member of a
patient is 43.3 per cent and by colleagues or fellow mate is 30 per cent. Furthermore, 26.7 per
cent of the doctors sexually harassed nursing professionals (Hussein, Mabrouk & Abed,
2015). According to Ross et al. (2019), the research study has found that around 60 per cent
of female nursing professionals and 34 per cent of male nursing professionals have been
subject towards the sexual harassment. Kabat-Farr & Crumley (2019), states that the
healthcare organisation is predominantly by the male healthcare professionals that include
physician or any senior administrators. Therefore, to enhance their dominance or preventing
their status, they often use sexual harassment to reinforce their superiority. Such hierarchical
of dominance or power can result in harassing of nursing professionals by their superior
seniors. However, it is not always necessary that nursing professionals will face threats or
harassment from other healthcare professionals. According to Hussein, Mabrouk & Abed
(2015), there multiple evidence or studies that represents that nursing professionals often
become subject to sexual harassment from colleagues, patient or family member and other
healthcare professionals. Burke (2019) has stated that in the sample size of 33 nursing
professionals, there was estimation of 27.9 per cent of the nurses who faced sexual

5SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN HEALTHCARE
harassment in the workplace. The outcome of sexual harassment in healthcare will influence
the health of the victims along with their employment. Therefore, it results in the lower rate
of job satisfaction, commitment towards the goal of the organization along with poor
performance or poor productivity.
Prevention Measures
The human resource managers or any other healthcare leaders should take necessary
prevention measures to overcome the issues of sexual harassment that is becoming a major
threat towards healthcare professionals. Although there are multiple rules and regulation
towards sexual harassment in the healthcare sector, it is important responsibilities of the
managers and senior healthcare leaders to implement those regulations within the workplace.
There can be effective policy formulation such as zero-tolerance policy (Hoffman & Chunta,
2015). According to berkeley.edu. (2020), the human resource managers or any senior
healthcare leaders need to monitor the working environment and ensuring a safe environment
for the healthcare professionals. They should also raise the concerns of any hostile
environment during the staff's meetings. Apart from formulating the policy against sexual
harassment, there should also be an efficient communication of policies to every employee.
For formulation, such policies, managers and senior healthcare leaders should understand the
multiple behaviour that establish sexual harassment. There is a need for educating the
employees or nursing professionals about the policies and steps to file complaints against
sexual harassment (Ganz et al., 2015). To provide efficient training about saying ‘No’ to any
such circumstance that may lead to sexual abuse. Consensual behaviour does not come under
sexual harassment. Therefore, one must say ‘No’ or directly deny such behaviour if they feel
uncomfortable. Sometimes, such behaviour can also result in or become a cause of sexual
harassment. The strict policies can reduce or prevent the rate of such incidence that results in
sexual harassment. For preventing any harassment from the patients towards the nursing

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professionals, the healthcare organisation or healthcare providers should give a clear
declaration to the patients and their family member regarding the policy of sexual
harassment. Therefore, efficient communication is necessary for both patients along with
healthcare professionals. According to McDonald, Charlesworth & Graham (2015), the
immediate action after the complaint has been registered is necessary. Such immediate
intervention will enhance the reduction of further consequences.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it can be concluded that sexual harassment is major issues
in healthcare. Nursing professionals are the major victims of sexual harassment. Therefore, it
is very much important to prevent sexual harassment that results in a lower rate of
performance in delivering quality care towards the patients. The human resource managers,
along with senior healthcare leaders, need to formulate strict guidelines to reduce the
influence of sexual harassment. The sexual harassment not only results in the lower
performance; however, also results in negative consequences on the health of the victims. It is
very much important to manage the cause of sexual harassment that results in negative
consequences.

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