The Disruptive Force of Lateral Violence in the Health Care Setting
The Disruptive Force of Lateral Violence in the Health Care Setting
The health care workplace is intensely stressful, regulated by levels of bureaucracy, enforced by strict norms of behavior, and characterized by challenging and sizable workloads. This can create a breeding ground for lateral violence, commonly referred to as workplace bullying. This article is designed to help nurse practitioners understand lateral violence consequences and prevention strategies. Response to lateral violence is an ethical obligation for nurse practitioners. In order to reduce disruption to patient care and prevent monetary losses to health care organizations, nurse practitioners should advocate for changes in nursing education, accreditation standards, and policies targeted at the elimination of lateral violence.
Employment in the health care workplace is commonly characterized as intensely stressful work that is highly regimented and regulated by levels of bureaucracy, enforced by strict norms of behavior, and characterized by extremely challenging and often sizable workloads. The work being performed, particularly in hospitals, is chaotic, crisis oriented, and stress inducing, which may cause a breakdown in teamwork and incite directed anger and hostility. Such an environment is a breeding ground for lateral violence, commonly referred to as workplace bullying. Given its caring nature, one might assume that lateral violence is a rare condition in the nursing profession. Unfortunately, and detrimentally, lateral violence is far from uncommon among nurses. Indeed, it is arguably 1 of the biggest challenges the profession of nursing faces today.
The purpose of this article is to help nurse practitioners (NPs) and health care administrators understand lateral violence in the health care workplace, its consequences, and means to prevent it. A systematic review of the literature on the topic revealed that lateral violence is prevalent in nursing, but there is little research in this domain specific to NPs. Thus, this article draws information from existing literature focused on lateral violence among nurses in general. Furthermore, although case law specifically concerning NPs and lateral violence has not been reported, lateral violence within nursing and other health professions has been the subject of criminal and civil lawsuits. Such cases are considered later in the article.
Widely, NPs are leaders and administrators in health care organizations. The prevention of and response to lateral violence is an ethical obligation for NPs to both reduce disruption to the care of patients and prevent monetary losses to the health care organization. Specifically, the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics, Section 2.3 Collaboration states "By its very nature, collaboration requires mutual trust, recognition and respect among the health care team, shared decision-making about patient care and open dialogue among all parties who have an interest in and a concern for health outcomes."
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
The health care workplace is intensely stressful, regulated by levels of bureaucracy, enforced by strict norms of behavior, and characterized by challenging and sizable workloads. This can create a breeding ground for lateral violence, commonly referred to as workplace bullying. This article is designed to help nurse practitioners understand lateral violence consequences and prevention strategies. Response to lateral violence is an ethical obligation for nurse practitioners. In order to reduce disruption to patient care and prevent monetary losses to health care organizations, nurse practitioners should advocate for changes in nursing education, accreditation standards, and policies targeted at the elimination of lateral violence.
Introduction
Employment in the health care workplace is commonly characterized as intensely stressful work that is highly regimented and regulated by levels of bureaucracy, enforced by strict norms of behavior, and characterized by extremely challenging and often sizable workloads. The work being performed, particularly in hospitals, is chaotic, crisis oriented, and stress inducing, which may cause a breakdown in teamwork and incite directed anger and hostility. Such an environment is a breeding ground for lateral violence, commonly referred to as workplace bullying. Given its caring nature, one might assume that lateral violence is a rare condition in the nursing profession. Unfortunately, and detrimentally, lateral violence is far from uncommon among nurses. Indeed, it is arguably 1 of the biggest challenges the profession of nursing faces today.
The purpose of this article is to help nurse practitioners (NPs) and health care administrators understand lateral violence in the health care workplace, its consequences, and means to prevent it. A systematic review of the literature on the topic revealed that lateral violence is prevalent in nursing, but there is little research in this domain specific to NPs. Thus, this article draws information from existing literature focused on lateral violence among nurses in general. Furthermore, although case law specifically concerning NPs and lateral violence has not been reported, lateral violence within nursing and other health professions has been the subject of criminal and civil lawsuits. Such cases are considered later in the article.
Widely, NPs are leaders and administrators in health care organizations. The prevention of and response to lateral violence is an ethical obligation for NPs to both reduce disruption to the care of patients and prevent monetary losses to the health care organization. Specifically, the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics, Section 2.3 Collaboration states "By its very nature, collaboration requires mutual trust, recognition and respect among the health care team, shared decision-making about patient care and open dialogue among all parties who have an interest in and a concern for health outcomes."
