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Bullying in health workplaces has a negative impact on nurses, their families, multidisciplinary teams, patient care and the profession. This paper compares the experiences of Australian and UK baccalaureate nursing students in relation to bullying and harassment during clinical placement. A secondary analysis was conducted on two primary cross-sectional studies of bullying experiences of Australian and UK nursing students. Data were collected using the Student Experience of Bullying during Clinical Placement (SEBDCP) questionnaire and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The total sample was 833 Australian and 561 UK students. Australian nursing students experienced a higher rate of bullying (50.1%) than UK students (35.5%). Students identified other nurses as the main perpetrators (Aust 53%, UK 68%), although patients were the main source of physical acts of bullying. Few bullied students chose to report the episode/s. The main reason for non-reporting was fear of being victimised. Sadly, some students felt bullying and harassment was 'part of the job'. A culture of bullying in nursing persists internationally. Nursing students are vulnerable and can question their future in the 'caring' profession of nursing after experiencing and/or witnessing bullying during clinical placement. Bullying requires a zero tolerance approach. Education providers must develop clearer policies and implement procedures to protect students - the future nursing workforce.

Many registered nurses (RNs) do not regularly perform breast self-examination (BSE), and even fewer routinely teach the procedure. The aim of this descriptive survey was to investigate registered nurses' BSE practice and teaching to female clients. A systematic random sample of 171 female Australian RNs aged 20 to 65 who worked in acute or long-term care areas was surveyed. A questionnaire I developed and mailed to participants was used to collect the data, and descriptive statistics were used in data analysis. Ninety-three percent of participants reported performing BSE in the preceding 12 months. However, less than half (46%) had performed BSE monthly, and the major reason cited for not performing monthly BSE was "forgetting" (57%). Most participants (81%) stated they did not include the teaching of BSE in their nursing care; the major reason identified was "it was not relevant to their work context" (86%). However, 77% indicated feeling confident in teaching BSE, and most (94%) would teach BSE if they had the opportunity. Furthermore, participants were found to be more likely to teach BSE if they performed monthly BSE, felt confident with their BSE teaching skills, and had completed other nursing courses. The implications of this study are that nurses' teaching to clients may be increased if more emphasis on BSE occurs in the workplace and in undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Also, the provision of BSE educational programs is necessary to increase nurses' knowledge, confidence, performance, and teaching of BSE.

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