The healthcare industry is built on the spirit of non-maleficence and benevolence. Hence, all those involved ought to express these values in their work towards colleagues and patients. However, nurses have developed an environment where older and more experienced nurses bully young nurses. According to research, 67% of new nurses have experienced bullying in different healthcare facilities (Blackwood, 2017). This statistic led to the formulation of the PICOT question: Will the creation of anti-bullying policies and procedures reduce the incidence of bullying among young nurses working in healthcare facilities? The study's duration will be one week before the study, and three weeks after the policies and procedures are implemented. The thesis statement for this paper is that implementing anti-bullying policies and procedures in healthcare facilities helps improve patient care, nursing practice, and the performance of healthcare agencies.
Workplace bullying among nurses has largely been recognized as one of the reasons for poor patient outcomes and the delivery of poor quality patient care. Bullying also affects professional communication and consultations. Patients cared for by nurses who are bullied become victims as opposed to patients cared for in a bullying-free environment. According to Roche &Diers, there is a positive association between medical errors and the bullying of nurses in the workplace (Roche et al., 2010). This, they explain, is because of an impaired level of functioning among bullied nurses. While bullying is rampant within healthcare facilities, more than 70% of those bullied chose not to report the bullying (Koh, 2016). This was because of the absence of clear anti-bullying policies and procedures for reporting bullying incidences. This means that nurses continue to suffer in silence, placing their health and that of the patients they serve at risk. Koh (2016) suggests that educating staff about negative workplace behaviors such as bullying and on reporting as a necessary behavior helps reduces workplace bullying. Besides, policies that prioritize practitioners' training on how to counteract bullying make the practitioners less worried and able to serve patients better. Hence, the implementation of anti-bullying policies and procedures have shown better nurses' performance and better patient outcomes.
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Workplace bullying has an effect on organizations and in the nursing profession at large. Nurses who undergo bullying in an organization with no laid-down procedures to address bullying often quit working. Workplace bullying among nurses have a high-turnover rate compared to those without intimidation (Rocker, 2008). With the rising need for nurses globally, a high turnover is bound to have a negative impact on healthcare agencies and organizations. Countries like Singapore have about 60.5% of the nursing workforce made up of foreigners, stirring up the need for a conversation on reasons for a low number of nurses (Koh, 2016). Workplace bullying amongst nurses also reflects the poor quality of care in organizations, translating to reduced revenues.
Bullying amongst young nurses by older nurses is bound to taint the profession. Workplace bullying among nurses has a negative effect on relationships with colleagues. Some of the pillars of nursing include: clinical practice, education, and leadership. Bullying poses a challenge to these pillars. Workplace bullying of young nurses hinders communication and development of a conducive working environment that facilitates consultation (Al Omar, 2019). As a result, young nurses are unable to learn from their seniors or collaborate with them for better nursing outcomes. Also, bullying affects the nurturing of leadership within the nursing profession (Al Omar, 2019). Therefore, policies and procedures must be in place for the benefit of the patient, healthcare agencies, and nursing practice.
References
Al Omar, M., Salam, M., & Al-Surimi, K. (2019). Workplace bullying and its impact on the quality of healthcare and patient safety. Human resources for health , 17 (1), 89.
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.
Koh, W. M. S. (2016). Management of work place bullying in hospital: A review of the use of cognitive rehearsal as an alternative management strategy. International Journal of Nursing Sciences , 3 (2), 213-222.
Roche, M., Diers, D., Duffield, C., & Catling‐Paull, C. (2010). Violence toward nurses, the work environment, and patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Scholarship , 42 (1), 13-22.
Rocker, C. F. (2008). Addressing nurse-to-nurse bullying to promote nurse retention. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing , 13 (3), N_A.
