Nurses worldwide experience violence and harassment in the workplace; the US is no exception to this statistic. 57% of nurses experienced sexual harassment, 26% experienced physical abuse, and more than 60% experienced verbal abuse and bullying (Ross et al., 2019). Moreover, studies show that nurses are most often subjected to violence from colleagues, both higher and the same level of competence, as well as from patients (Karatuna et al., 2020). Thus, it can be stated that there is a whole culture of violence against this profession.
The consequences of workplace harassment and violence can never be positive. First, it affects nurses’ physical and mental health, leading them to develop anxiety, depression, PTSD, burnout, and more. (Yang et al., 2018). The negative consequences of traumatic events vary from person to person but always lead to aggravation and the formation of a fearful or anxious response to the environment in which the traumatic event occurred. Second, condoning violence creates an internal culture of fear and prejudice in which wrongdoing goes unpunished (Yang et al., 2018). Third, professional ethics and culture begin to suffer when nurses cannot rely on their colleagues and feel insecure in the workplace.
Harassment and violence are current issues in the nursing profession around the globe. Therefore, nurses must play an active role in creating a work environment free from aggression. Employers and managers must educate their employees about institutional tools and administrative methods of influence since the culture of violence harms not only its direct victims but also the professional sphere as a whole. Workers in an atmosphere of fear and prejudice are less inclined to reform the system, that is why this responsibility must be assigned to the administration.
Karatuna, I., Jönsson, S., & Muhonen, T. (2020). Workplace bullying in the nursing profession: A cross-cultural scoping review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 111, 103628. Web.
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