Over the past few years, the terms bullying and lateral violence have become common terms discussed in many arenas. The term bullying has been around for ages, generally thought of as something happening between children. However, it is now being recognized for its seriousness and consequences, not only for children but for adults, too. With the prevalence of social media, bullying may occur more frequently. Those feeling bullied may not have the ability to cope, leading to an increased risk for anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideations.
Workplace bullying may be called lateral violence, workplace incivility, or nurse-on-nurse aggression. It is violence or incivility occurring between coworkers. It occurs in various healthcare settings, including academic settings. Nurses and nursing students have reported experiencing this issue. Lateral incivility happens between peers. Workplace violence can also be used to describe incivility between nurses and supervisors or students and faculty members, where there is not a lateral relationship but a horizontal one (horizontal violence.
Studies have demonstrated that many nurses (up to 100% in some studies) have experienced incivility in the workplace. Examples may include teasing and laughing at coworkers, criticizing, ignoring, or gossiping about coworkers. Other types of lateral violence include refusing to assist others, either with information or actions, or unequal or difficult assignments received by the victims. These types of actions are done deliberately and are hurtful to others. Sometimes, newer nurses are victims, and the more experienced nurses are the instigators. Those initiating the violence might see their words and actions as a way to correct their coworkers’ actions but are actually demonstrating their dislike or unacceptance of them. They do not realize the degree of hurt they cause.
Lateral violence has significant negative consequences for victims, the work or learning environment, and patients. Although this new name may be used, the results of this type of bullying can lead the victim to feel as mentioned above: hurt, anxious, depressed, or even suicidal. Attendance issues may develop. The victim may seem unhappy or disengaged while at work. These are signs of reduced job satisfaction. The retention of nurses who feel victimized is significantly at risk. Some nurses may even consider leaving the profession. At a time when there is a nursing shortage with predictions of worsening, workplace violence is a significant barrier to safe patient care.
What can we do to alleviate this problematic issue? Nursing students are often at risk as new nurses, so education on workplace violence is a priority. Education helps them recognize when it occurs and what actions to take. When it happens, using measures to cope with stress is helpful to victims dealing with this type of violence. Please encourage them to respond professionally, discussing what is found inappropriate and how one wishes to be treated (Donley, 2012; Bambi et al., 2017). Other strategies to help in coping and responding include documenting the incidents and journaling about the experience and responses. Finding mentors to support the victims is essential. Ultimately, reporting the incidents is important to reduce this problem.
The staff must support each other. If bullying happens, nurses must speak up to stop the behaviors.
Nursing leaders must watch for and recognize when these issues are occurring. The leader must model expected workplace behavior and set a standard of collegiality and respect (Anthony & Brett, 2020). Develop workplace violence policies and adherence maintained. There should be a no-tolerance policy for this type of behavior. Include a clear and simple way to report incidents. Some organizations have developed workplace violence committees to direct policies and procedures for this issue and investigate reports. Nurse leaders and frontline nurses should be involved with other departments, such as human resources and security. Include support and counseling for victims as part of the policy. Plan to meet with those instigating bullying privately. Explore possible issues they may be dealing with to identify causes for their actions. Ensure they know what behavior is expected and what will not be tolerated.
Toxic behaviors can lead to significant issues. Jeopardizing patient outcomes may occur due to a lack of collaboration. Retention of qualified nurses is at risk. Learning more about preventing and managing bullying in nursing is a priority. All nurses have a responsibility to ensure that workplace violence is not tolerated. The old saying, “Nurses eat their young,” can no longer be true.
References
Anthony, M.R. & Brett, A.L. (2020). Nurse leaders as problem solvers: Addressing lateral and horizontal violence. Nursing Management, 51(8), 12-19. DOI: 10.1097/01.NUMA.0000688928.78513.86
Bambi, S., Foà, C., De Felippis, C., Lucchini, A., Guazzini, A., & Rasero, L. (2018). Workplace incivility, lateral violence and bullying among nurses. A review about their prevalence and related factors. Acta Biomedica, 18(89)(6-S), 51-79. doi: 10.23750/abm.v89i6-S.7461
Donley, J. (2012). Defusing lateral violence and abuse. American Nurse. Defusing lateral violence and abuse (myamericannurse.com)