Addressing Workplace Bullying in Nursing: A Comprehensive Analysis

This report addresses the critical issue of workplace bullying within the nursing profession. It begins by defining bullying and highlighting its prevalence, including statistics on nurses experiencing harassment and its impact on staff turnover. The report then explores the detrimental effects of bullying on the quality of patient care and patient safety, emphasizing how disruptive behaviors can hinder teamwork and communication. It examines professional standards, particularly those set by the American Nurses Association (ANA), that address bullying as an unethical practice. The role of nursing leaders and managers is analyzed, emphasizing the need for effective communication, conflict management, and support for nurses to mitigate bullying. Different leadership styles are also discussed, with the democratic style being proposed as an effective approach to foster open communication and build trust. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing bullying to ensure job satisfaction, well-being of nurses, quality of care, and patient safety.

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Introduction
Nursing profession is quite challenging and nurses need to face various difficult
situations and issues at their workplace which affects the safety as well as the quality of care.
In this paper, such an issue will be discussed thoroughly. Simultaneously, the impact of the
issue on quality of care as well as patients’ safety will also be a part of the discussion.
Different nursing standards and role of nursing leaders and managers will be analyzed along
with additional aspects in ensuring professionalism in nursing practice. The most effective
nursing leadership style will be picked to address the issue and finally, the paper will
conclude gathering all the important points discussed in the paper.
A significant nursing issue
Nursing profession is dedicated to helping others. Nurses manage multiple complex
patients and cope with trauma, works in 12-hours shifts and sometimes in night shifts, works
without adequate meal breaks, and work effortlessly irrespective of the complexities of their
job (Budden, Birks, Cant, Bagley & Park, 2017). Unfortunately, despite the stellar reputation,
there is a hidden culture across the healthcare organizations and hospitals, which is nurse
bullying. Bullying is defined as the repeated as well as unwanted harmful actions which are
basically intended to offend, humiliate, and cause distress to the recipient. According to a
study report, nurses revealed that they have experienced different types of bullying at their
workplaces and 60% of them left their first position within six months due to verbal abuse or
harassment from their colleagues (Wilson, 2016). The researchers feared that if bullying
increases at this rate then the number of people entering into the profession will be decreased
very soon.
Impact on quality of care and patients’ safety

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The consequences of nurse bullying is even more dangerous that it seems to be.
Bullying is an extremely serious nursing issue which not only affects the health and
wellbeing of the nurses but also threatens the safety as well as the quality of care provided to
the patients. Different studies revealed that bullying behaviour inhibits teamwork, and
obstructs the communication process between the nurses which in turn delays new practices
from being implemented as the method of care (Hogh, Baernholdt & Clausen, 2018). Also,
disruptive behaviour as a form of bullying can affect the ability of the nurses to think clearly
and focus on the patients that affects the quality of care. In addition, such behaviour
decreases staff morale and increases absenteeism as well as turnover of the qualified staffs
(Fink-Samnick, 2015). Bullying has been a great concern as all these leads to deteriorate the
reputation of the hospital or the healthcare organization.
Professional standards rectifying the issue
Different nursing standards are there that address bullying as an unethical culture of
act. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) standards regarding the code of
ethics for nurses, all the nurses are always required to create an ethical environment as well
as culture of civility and kindness at their workplaces (Simpson, 2016). Also, they are meant
to treat their co-workers, colleagues, employees, students, and others with proper dignity and
respect in this regard. It is stated that if nurses afford to show respect and dignity to others
then this profession will never tolerate violence and any other kind of bullying. In order to
prevent the nurses from making a bullying behaviour, this standard should be demonstrated.
Role of nursing leaders and managers in promoting safety and quality care
Bullying has been associated as the part of culture in nursing and ineffective
leadership is significantly responsible for the problem. Also, many nurses clearly describe
that a lack of managerial support as well as intervention for the situations of bullying. Even,

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some studies disclosed that when nurses complained about bullying, the manager did not take
any action to resolve the issue (Woodrow & Guest, 2017). Several researches identified some
managerial problems, including the nursing leaders who use censorship, silence as well as
self-protection tactics as a method of avoiding bullying related complaints. However, with the
support of an effect leader as well as a strong manager, it is possible to reduce the prevalence
of nurse bullying from the healthcare industry. Leaders can utilize effective communication
techniques, conflict management skills to mitigate the actions of bullying. Also, they can
support the nurses with some positive self-care activities so that they can confront bullying
behaviour and report against that. If nurses are cared and valued then the safety of patients
and quality of care is improved.
Additional aspects in ensuring professionalism
Nursing is a wide profession and there is diversity among the patients as well as the
employees. In this purpose, nursing leaders and managers need to be efficient in establishing
professionalism in nursing while addressing all kinds of nursing issues. They should follow
their moral compass in order to ensure that all the aspects o professionalism is met with
dignity and honesty (Felstead & Springett, 2016). Also, leaders should encourage and
empower the nurses to become more mindful and efficient in their duty. In diverse healthcare
settings, leaders and managers should ensure that all the nurses are following codes of ethics
and conduct whilst working.
Effective nursing leadership style in addressing the issue
Different leadership styles are there in nursing. In order to address bullying issue,
democratic nursing leadership style can be more effective. The democratic nursing leaders
encourage open communication and takes feedback from every individual while taking any
clinical decision (Feijó, Gräf, Pearce & Fassa, 2019). This style is effective as nurses can

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clearly communicate with the leaders if they experience any bullying from their workers and
the leaders will be supportive enough to all the employees and encourage them in establishing
stability together. Also, this style helps in building relationships between the staffs based on
trust as well as accountability which improve the system of providing care.
Conclusion
Safety and quality of care is most important in healthcare and nurses are more likely
to be associated with it. In this regard, job satisfaction, and wellbeing of the nurses is highly
necessary. This paper clearly demonstrated bullying as a serious nursing issue and its impact
on healthcare. Also, role of leaders and managers along with an appropriate leadership style
has also been depicted in the paper. It is assumed that support from managers and effective
leaders can reduce the bullying effects on the healthcare system.

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References
Budden, L. M., Birks, M., Cant, R., Bagley, T., & Park, T. (2017). Australian nursing
students’ experience of bullying and/or harassment during clinical
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Feijó, F. R., Gräf, D. D., Pearce, N., & Fassa, A. G. (2019). Risk factors for workplace
bullying: a systematic review. International journal of environmental research and
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Felstead, I. S., & Springett, K. (2016). An exploration of role model influence on adult
nursing students’ professional development: A phenomenological research
study. Nurse education today, 37, 66-70.
Fink-Samnick, E. (2015). The new age of bullying and violence in health care: the
interprofessional impact. Professional case management, 20(4), 165-174.
Hogh, A., Baernholdt, M., & Clausen, T. (2018). Impact of workplace bullying on missed
nursing care and quality of care in the eldercare sector. International archives of
occupational and environmental health, 91(8), 963-970.
Simpson, K. R. (2016). Incivility, bullying, and workplace violence: new recommendations
for nurses and their employers from the American Nurses Association. MCN: The
American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 41(1), 68.
Wilson, J. L. (2016). An exploration of bullying behaviours in nursing: a review of the
literature. British Journal of Nursing, 25(6), 303-306.

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Woodrow, C., & Guest, D. E. (2017). Leadership and approaches to the management of
workplace bullying. European Journal of Work and Organizational
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