Bullying and Aggressive Behavior among Health Care Providers: Literature Review

Abstract

Bullying is defined by American Psychological Association as an aggressive behavior which is intended to cause distress or harm and that involves an imbalance of power or strength between the aggressor and the victim. Bullying in the workplace is angering enough people these days to be fueling a nationwide grassroots legislative effort to force companies to draft and enforce policies aimed at stopping it. Requiring such policies, according to those pushing the legislation, is not an attempt to spawn lawsuits, but an effort to force organizations to deal with the problem. Bullying is blamed for unnecessarily creating high costs of turnover, insurance claims and thwarted productivity. Disruptive behavior has been observed in almost all members of the healthcare team from physicians and nurses to pharmacy, radiology, and laboratory staff members. Physician behavior, however, may have the greatest impact because of the position of authority that doctors hold as members of the healthcare team. A team member may, from fear of intimidation or patronization, withhold valuable or even critical input, such as a medication error or a breakdown in adherence to safety protocols. Hospitals, departments and individual personnel need to develop a higher level of awareness of the problem both in others and in them. Anti-bullying policies should be given a higher profile.

Prevalence, causes and mental health impact of workplace bullying in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit environment

“…The last could be attributed to the belief that bullying may have an impact on their professional progress. 47 Anti-bullying policies should decrease barriers to reporting bullying and increase staff confidence in preventing and dealing with this behaviour. Our study stresses out that personality trait of victims, management and workplace culture were considered as the main causes of bullying.…”

Why do acute healthcare staff engage in unprofessional behaviours towards each other and how can these behaviours be reduced? A realist review protocol

“…8 Staff in ambulance service trusts and certain minority groups experience above average rates of bullying and harassment, 9 including women, individuals with a disability and members of minority communities, through microaggressions 6 10 and harassment or discrimination. [11][12][13] For example, the 2020 staff survey showed that minority ethnic respondents reported 5.6% higher rates of bullying and harassment from other staff than did white respondents. 8 Impacts of unprofessional behaviours Unprofessional behaviours can have negative impacts on staff psychological well-being in the workplace, on patient safety and quality of care and for wider systems and culture.…”

“…The 2020 UK National Health Service (NHS) staff survey found that 18.7% of all staff reported experiencing bullying or harassment at work from their colleagues,8 and 12.4% of staff reported experiencing these behaviours from managers 8. Staff in ambulance service trusts and certain minority groups experience above average rates of bullying and harassment,9 including women, individuals with a disability and members of minority communities, through microaggressions6 10 and harassment or discrimination 11–13. For example, the 2020 staff survey showed that minority ethnic respondents reported 5.6% higher rates of bullying and harassment from other staff than did white respondents 8…”

Why Do We Still Eat Our Young?

“…Work Place Bullying (WPB) is a global problem that has been recognized in many countries and within multiple occupations (Einarsen & Hoel, 2001). In January 2009, The Joint Commission required hospitals to have "code of conduct" polices, defi ning acceptable and inappropriate behaviors (Pisklakov, Tilak, Patel, & Xiong, 2013).…”