8 Things To Know About Nurse Bullying

Many people believe that bullying only occurs in schools between students. Others know that it can occur in the workplace among adults too. According to a Forbes article, 96% of American employees experience bullying in the workplace. Bullying isn’t just toxic to victims, it damages the entire work environment. Workplace bullying impacts every level of business. That includes productivity, profitability, creativity and office morale. The first thing you need to be able to do is spot the signs of a bully. The WBI definition of workplace bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators.

It is abusive conduct that is :

• Threatening, humiliating, or intimidating, or
• Work interference — sabotage — which prevents work from getting done, or
• Verbal abuse If you are experiencing bullying in the workplace and are not sure what measures to take, here are a few tips to help you along the way to ridding your days of this unhealthy factor.

Tip #1. Don’t get emotional. I know it is easier said than done to stay calm when a bully attacks, but bullies feed off of emotions so don’t show them any! By staying calm and sturdy, you are giving yourself the advantage to deal better with the situation. Don’t act on high emotions. If you want to take action, do it after a good night’s sleep.

Tip #2. Get it on paper. Keep track of every incident you encounter with the bully. Try to be as detailed as possible. Get the time, date, place, person’s name, and details of the altercation. Include anyone who witnessed it.

Tip #3. You are not alone. Usually other staff members have felt the wrath of this bully or witnessed it. Become friends with those people and others on your staff. Agree to help each other out by letting them know you’ll have their back and they’ll have yours if another incident occurs with the bully. Band together for good, not evil.

Tip #4. Report it. After you have documented the bullying and are in a calm state of mind, go to your supervisor and sit down to discuss the problem. Stick to the facts you have and always stay professional. If it’s your supervisor that’s the bully, go to their supervisor and continue until your problem is dealt with in an appropriate manner.

Tip #5. Recover. You can’t go back to being that great Nurse if you haven’t had time to recover from the bullying. Try talking to a close friend, family member or even a therapist. Spend time focusing on things that make you happy and healthy like exercise or hobbies. Your career is your passion. Don’t let anyone take that away from you.