The Bullying Aspect of Work Place Violence
Workplace violence is becoming an issue that all organizations must be aware of. In healthcare organizations, these behaviors, especially that of bullying, are detrimental and affect staff, patients, and outcomes. Healthcare organizations that do not address this issue and instill measures to prevent it will soon see the effects that bullying and other forms of workplace violence can create: those of toxic work environments. Because bullying and other forms of workplace violence have become so prevalent, organizations such as The Joint Commission have addressed the need for healthcare organizations to address issue. This article examines bullying, the most common type of workplace violence, and nursing, the profession where bullying most often occurs. Theories about why it exists and suggestions on how to prevent it and maintain a healthy workplace will be discussed.
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Lessons Learned from a Lateral Violence and Team Building Intervention
Background: Lateral violence is likely to exist in settings characterized by poor leadership and lack of clearly articulated roles, expectations, and processes that guide behavior. Objectives: The purposes of this process improvement project were to (1) identify and improve baseline levels of nurse satisfaction and group cohesion through planned unit-based interventions, (2) determine the effect of a team-building intervention on factors that impact cohesive team functioning, and (3) determine the effect of lateral violence training and communication style differences in improving team cohesion. Methods: The sample consisted of registered nurses (RNs) from 4 diverse patient care areas, chosen on the basis of low scores on the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) RN-RN interaction subscale. A quasi-experimental pre–post intervention design without a control group was employed. The intervention focused on lateral violence and team building. A qualitative component focused on the impact of the intervention on overall group dynamics and processes. Results: RN scores on the Group Cohesion Scale (P =.037) and the RN-RN interaction scores improved postintervention. Group sessions focused on building trust, identifying and clarifying roles, engaging staff in decision making, role-modeling positive interactions, and holding each other accountable. Conclusions: Key to a cohesive environment is an effective nurse manager able to drive and sustain change.
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