Nurse Bullying

 The most important thing I learned this week:

NURSE BULLYING

"Bullying in Nursing: Why Nurses ‘Eat Their Young’ and What to Do About It"

By Katy Katz

• Defined as " high levels of hazing or initiation new nurses experience at the hands of their more experienced coworkers"
• 65 percent of nurses have witnessed some form of nursing incivility
• Nurse bullying comes from the clashing of ineffective communication and coping skills in a high stakes environment
• It will most likely happen when the faculty or charge nurse isn't looking- this may make it feel hard to reach out to an administrator, but they are there to help.
• Not always malicious- could be an experienced nurse trying to be helpful. Mentors believe in tough love- they think if they are hard on new nurses, it will help them become more competent and stronger overall care providers.
• An important thing to remember for new nurses- Competence comes from confidence.
• “I need your support, not your criticism,” or directly stating “I need help with X, Y, and Z,”
• Body language and using an assertive communication style will help you look like you are serious/ there to learn.