Nurse incivility and bullying
The theme for this month is Worksite Wellness. A very serious issue within the nursing profession that effects Worksite Wellness is nursing incivility and nurse bullying which also exists in every area of nursing. Isn’t it hard to imagine that nurses, the most trusted profession, should have a nurse incivility and bullying problem? Sadly, it is a true issue. The ANA’s position statement called Incivility, Bullying, and Workplace Violence can be read here:
Nurse incivility and bullying contributes to nurse burn-out, an unsafe work environment, and poor patient care. In the article, Break the bullying cycle, the author, Terri Townsend, MA, RN, CCRN, CVRN, explains that the first step to changing the nurse bullying and incivility culture is to acknowledge that it is a real issue and that the problem exists. Nurses can initiate a change by:
- Remember what it was like to be a new nurse. Treat new nurses as you would have wanted to be treated as a “newbie.”
- Make an effort to welcome new nurses and help them feel they’re part of the group.
- If you’re being bullied, address the behavior immediately. Bullying might be so ingrained in the workplace culture that bullies may not be aware of their behavior.
- Use conflict-management strategies when confronting a bully.
- Identify the problem clearly when it occurs, and raise the issue at staff meetings.
- Serve as a role model for professional behaviors.
Read the full article here: https://www.americannursetoday.com/break-the-bullying-cycle/
The bottom-line is that to be a Healthy Nurse means we need to be kind and supportive to our fellow nurses whether they are student nurses or very experienced nurses. We need to support one another and not allow incivility and bullying to go on in our profession.
We wish you well on your Healthy Nurse journey!
Jillian Bailey, RN, Tracey Jaworski-Lucas, BSN, RN and the Healthy Nurse Healthy New Jersey Team
