BULLYING IN NURSING
Bullying can be common in any kind of workplace. But its particularly corrosive, and dangerous,
in heathcare settings, where effective teamwork really can make the difference between life and death.
Studies have shown that where nurses are bullied, the quality of patient care declines.
So, why does this happen? I set out to find why bullying exists in a profession that is suppose to
stand for "careing". Although I was unable to find out exactly "why" these bullies behave in such a
disgusting mannor, it was clear to me that this is a modeled behavior. In many cases the "bullied"
is likely to become the "bullier".
I can relate to this topic in my own personal life. Since picking this topic to study, I have taken
an extra interest in paying more attention to this at the nurseing home where I work. I noticed that
it is the nurses with the most "seniority" and the "higher titles" that most often are the bullies.
However I've also observed other situations where that was not the case. But in these situations
the perpetrator was almost always someone who was also a victom. So I would have to conclude that it
steams from a need to feel important. In this profession your job is to take care of people, and
these people(patients) "NEED" you, because you are vital to their survival and or recovery. So if you
think about it, that is a pretty impowering feeling. Sometimes, more often than not, these people(nurses)
just take that impowerment to a whole new level. Studies show that in a resent survey 8 out of every 10
people in the nursing profession have been bullied at some point in their career, sometimes even causing
them to quit their jobs. Unfortunatly as common as this may be, it goes unaddressed because most often
it is never brought to the attention of the facility.
