The relationships between people in the professional field of activity are very multifaceted. They can be both positive and encouraging, as well as take a completely negative character. One of the problems that have arisen in modern society is incivility in the relations of medical personnel. It is characterized by a rude and disrespectful attitude towards colleagues, which can lead to unpleasant consequences. The issue of bullying in the workplace, which violates social norms and professional standards, is particularly acute. The study of this problem is valuable because it will help prevent the occurrence of such cases in the future and can be used even in the stage of training young professionals.
The journal article that was chosen for this study is “Bullying in Nursing: Building a Culture of Respect Combats Lateral Violence” by Abigail Pugh. In this paper, the author examines the problem of lateral violence among nurses. It is noted that young specialists are exposed to this problem, especially those who are thrown into work without the provision of assistance. Therefore, during stress, aggression and negative attitude among medical specialists arise. In particular, the author notes that violence can manifest itself in seemingly harmless aspects like gossip or criticism (Pugh, 2005). Moreover, the article underlines that despite various efforts to attract males to this profession, women still prevail in it.
Further in the article, the author cites several consequences of lateral violence against nurses. Hence, some, unable to cope with the stress, leave the workplace. Moreover, many turn to bad habits, such as smoking or alcohol abuse. This factor directly affects the productivity of medical personnel. Furthermore, there are more cases of inadequate care, frequent sick leave, and a decrease in creativity and desire to work. The author sees anti-harassment and a variety of initiatives as ways to combat bullying and lateral violence. Moreover, cognitive behavioral awareness therapy can be an effective tool in such cases.
Bullying towards all people, including nurses, is a common problem. As already mentioned, it can lead to a lot of unpleasant and negative consequences. Therefore, many young professionals quit their jobs, feeling that they cannot cope with the pressure. Bullying contributes to the formation of a poor working environment, which affects the quality of medical services provided for the care of patients. Bullying can manifest itself in discourtesy or even in direct physical violence. It should be noted that ignoring this problem can further aggravate the situation, and it is important to develop and apply various strategies to eliminate it.
The first step is to recognize the reasons why there is discourtesy and bullying among nurses. One of the main ones is a high level of stress, emotional burnout, and heavy and hard work. A special negative contribution is made by the prevalence of social networks in modern society. They give some employees the opportunity to anonymously distribute publications and messages that are aimed at bullying colleagues. To improve the situation and combat this issue in the workplace, it is necessary to implement various measures. Such can be the establishment of a policy prohibiting physical and emotional violence, the introduction of support programs and activities for team building, and awareness-raising on the topic under study. Only if these measures are observed and monitored can medical organizations reduce and eliminate the problem of discourtesy among medical personnel and establish communication between them.
Reference
Pugh, A. (2005). Bullying in nursing: Building a culture of respect combats lateral violence. The Journal of Addiction and Mental Health, 9(2), 15. Web.