Bullying During a Time of Turbulence

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

It seems strange to write about bullying during COVID-19, but frontline leaders tell me that it is on the upswing. Nurses who are anxious and fearful sometimes default to bad behavior such as bullying. Renee Thompson, an expert on nurse bullying, defines the practice as having a target, repeatedly targeting individual nurses and causing harm. For some staff, the upswing in public incivility has normalized bullying behaviors and made it OK to inflict them with no expectation of repercussion. Whether the bullying is about clinical practice, race, ethnicity, or political views – nurse managers are finding themselves on the frontlines of this battle. Some managers have had to act quickly to keep these behaviors from being normalized in their cultures. During times of stress, dark sides of human nature can emerge. Nurse leaders need to be on the lookout for the following signs:

Signs of Horizontal Violence

As a nurse leader, the challenge is to identify behaviors that should be characterized as bullying to stop the cycle. Nurse leaders have a responsibility to analyze the culture of units and observe for verbal and nonverbal cues in the behavior of staff. Some common ones include:

Talking behind one’s back instead of directly resolving conflicts
Making belittling comments or criticizing colleagues in front of others
Describing a colleague as very old or technologically inept
Not sharing valuable information with a colleague
Isolating or freezing out a colleague from group activities
Snide or abrupt remarks
Refusing to be available when a colleague needs assistance
Acts of sabotage that deliberately set victims up for a negative situation
Raising eyebrows or making faces in response to the comments of colleagues
Failing to respect the privacy of colleagues
Broken confidences

Breaking the Cycle

A culture of zero-tolerance for bullying is the most effective leadership strategy to prevent its occurrence. If a manager suspects that this could be an issue on the unit, I would recommend talking with seasoned staff about how they are experiencing the current work environment and whether bullying is an issue. It is essential that the problem is labeled as “bullying”. Staff needs to be educated about the behaviors that constitute bullying to help break the silence. Raising the issue at a staff meeting and letting staff tell their stories is a key step to helping rebuild a culture. Staff should know that you will quickly be responsive when you observe the behavior or when it is brought to your attention. Leaders need to engage in self-awareness activities to ensure that their own leadership style does not support bullying.

Nursing research indicates that exposure to bullying comes at a high cost to the organization and often results in staff turnover. Nurses who are victims of bullying may have problems sleeping, develop low self-esteem, exhibit depression, have poor morale, and use excessive sick leave. It is also a patient safety issue when communication is compromised because of concerns about bullying. Some of our young nurses may need to be educated about the destructiveness of this behavior and how it could potentially derail their careers.

Read Rose Sherman’s new book available now – The Nurse Leader Coach: Become the Boss No One Wants to Leave

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