The Effects Of Bullying On The Health Care Industry

Literature Review Bullying is a prevalent problem that has existed in the health care industry for a long time, but people did not want to talk about it and it was kept as an ugly secret. When the occurrence of misbehavior increased over time, health care providers started breaking the silence. The evidence of bullying has shown the effect on patient outcomes as well as the victims. According to studies, nurses particularly younger age females are more susceptible to bullying than any other health care workers in the industry. Workplace bullying is the repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators. Workplace bullying behaviors include verbal abuse, victimization, humiliation, being†¦show more content†¦According to a Workplace Bullying Institute (2014), 27% of adult Americans have experienced abuse, 48% have been affected either directly or indirectly by it, 72% of Americans are aware that workplace bullying happens and 93% support th e enactment of a healthy workplace environment law. Bullying is reported across all levels in the health care sector and the cases keep increasing over time and management should intervene to prevent and control the problem. (Dumont, Meisinger, Whitacre, Corbin, 2012) report in their study of 950 RN respondents that 82% reported experiencing or witnessing bullying behaviors on a weekly or daily basis. In 2008, The Joint Commission (TJC) reported that these behaviors can foster medical errors; and contribute to poor patient satisfaction and to preventable adverse outcomes. Fitness (2000) found that employees bullied by subordinates may be more likely to confront the offenders than employees bullied by superiors. (Trà ©panier, Fernet, Austin, 2015) found out that employees who are victims of bullying at work may be able to satisfy their need for being valued and connected to others at work through other means such as confiding to other colleagues about the situation to obtain