Bullying and Aggressive Behavior among Health Care Providers: Literature Review
ABSTRACT
Bullying is defined by American Psychological Association as an aggressive behavior which is intended to cause distress or harm and that involves an imbalance of power or strength between the aggressor and the victim. Bullying in the workplace is angering enough people these days to be fueling a nationwide grass-roots legislative effort to force companies to draft and enforce policies aimed at stopping it. Requiring such policies, according to those pushing the legislation, is not an attempt to spawn lawsuits, but an effort to force organizations to deal with the problem. Bullying is blamed for unnecessarily creating high costs of turnover, insurance claims and thwarted productivity. Disruptive behavior has been observed in almost all members of the healthcare team from physicians and nurses to pharmacy, radiology, and laboratory staff members. Physician behavior, however, may have the greatest impact because of the position of authority that doctors hold as members of the healthcare team. A team member may, from fear of intimidation or patronization, withhold valuable or even critical input, such as a medication error or a breakdown in adherence to safety protocols. Hospitals, departments and individual personnel need to develop a higher level of awareness of the problem both in others and in them. Anti-bullying policies should be given a higher profile.
Cite this paper
Pisklakov, S. , Tilak, V. , Patel, A. & Xiong, M. (2013). Bullying and Aggressive Behavior among Health Care Providers: Literature Review. Advances in Anthropology, 3, 179-182. doi: 10.4236/aa.2013.34024.
Pisklakov, S. , Tilak, V. , Patel, A. & Xiong, M. (2013). Bullying and Aggressive Behavior among Health Care Providers: Literature Review. Advances in Anthropology, 3, 179-182. doi: 10.4236/aa.2013.34024.
References
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2923.2001.00767.x [8] Coverdale, J. et al. (2005). Protecting the safety of medical students and residents. Academic Psychiatry, 29, 329-331.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.29.4.329 [9] Daugherty, S. et al. (1998). Learning, satisfaction, and mistreatment during medical internship: A national survey of working conditions. JAMA, 279, 1194-1199. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.279.15.1194 [10] Einharsen, S. et al. (1994). Bullying and its relationship to work and environment quality: An exploratory study. European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology, 4, 381-404.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13594329408410497 [11] Farrell, G. (1999). Aggression in clinical settings: Nurses’ views: A follow-up study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 29, 532-541.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.00920.x [12] Hoosen, I., & Callaghan, R. (2004). A survey of workplace bullying of psychiatric trainees in the West Midlands. Psychiatric Bulletin, 28, 225-227. http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/pb.28.6.225 [13] Houghton, A. (2003). Bullying in medicine. British Medical Journal, 326, 12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7393.S125a [14] Houghton, A. (2005). Tips on dealing with bullies. British Medical Journal Career Focus, 330, 201-202. [15] Huntoon, L. (2004). Abuse of the “disruptive physician” clause. Journal of the American Physicians and Surgeons, 9, 68. [16] Johnson, S. (2009). International perspective on workplace bullying among nurses: A review. International Nursing Review, 56, 34-40.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00048679709062676 [20] Margittai, K. (1996). Forensic aspects of medical student abuse: A Canadian perspective. The Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 24, 377-385. [21] Moscarello, R. et al. (1994). Differences in abuse reported by female and male Canadian medical students. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 150, 357-363. [22] Paice, E. et al. (2004). Bullying among doctors in training: Cross sectional questionnaire survey. British Medical Journal, 329, 658-659.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.271.13.1049 [29] Vanineveld, C. et al. (1998). Discrimination and abuse in internal medicine residency. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 11, 401-405.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02600186 [30] White, G. (2000). Sexual harassment during medical training: The perceptions of medical students at a university medical school in Australia. Medical Education, 34, 980-986.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2923.2000.00684.x
[1] Ahmer, S. et al. (2009). Bullying of trainee psychiatrists in Pakistan: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Acad Psychiatry, 33, 335-339.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.33.4.335 [2] Baldwin, D. et al. (1991). Student perceptions of mistreatment and harassment during medical school: A survey of ten US schools. Western Journal of Medicine, 155, 140-145. [3] Carr, M. et al. (1991). A survey of Canadian psychiatric residents regarding resident-educator sexual contact. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 216-220. [4] Carr, M. (1997). Comment. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 31, 653-654.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00048679709062677 [5] Cohen, J. et al. (2008). The happy docs study: A Canadian Association of Interns and Residents well-being survey examining resident physician health and satisfaction within and outside of residency training in Canada. BMC Research Notes, 1, 105.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-1-105 [6] Cook, D. et al. (1996). Residents’ experiences of abuse, discrimination, and sexual harassment during residency training. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 154, 1657-1665. [7] Coverdale, J. et al. (2001). A survey of threats and violent acts by patients against training physicians. Medical Education, 35, 154-159.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2923.2001.00767.x [8] Coverdale, J. et al. (2005). Protecting the safety of medical students and residents. Academic Psychiatry, 29, 329-331.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.29.4.329 [9] Daugherty, S. et al. (1998). Learning, satisfaction, and mistreatment during medical internship: A national survey of working conditions. JAMA, 279, 1194-1199. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.279.15.1194 [10] Einharsen, S. et al. (1994). Bullying and its relationship to work and environment quality: An exploratory study. European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology, 4, 381-404.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13594329408410497 [11] Farrell, G. (1999). Aggression in clinical settings: Nurses’ views: A follow-up study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 29, 532-541.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.00920.x [12] Hoosen, I., & Callaghan, R. (2004). A survey of workplace bullying of psychiatric trainees in the West Midlands. Psychiatric Bulletin, 28, 225-227. http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/pb.28.6.225 [13] Houghton, A. (2003). Bullying in medicine. British Medical Journal, 326, 12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7393.S125a [14] Houghton, A. (2005). Tips on dealing with bullies. British Medical Journal Career Focus, 330, 201-202. [15] Huntoon, L. (2004). Abuse of the “disruptive physician” clause. Journal of the American Physicians and Surgeons, 9, 68. [16] Johnson, S. (2009). International perspective on workplace bullying among nurses: A review. International Nursing Review, 56, 34-40.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-7657.2008.00679.x [17] Joint Commission (2008). Sentinel event alert—Behaviors that undermine a culture of safety. [18] The Joint Commission (2009). Accreditation requirements.
http://www.jointcommission.org/NR/rdonlyres [19] Kozlowska, K. (1997). Adverse experiences in psychiatric training, part 2. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 31, 641-652.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00048679709062676 [20] Margittai, K. (1996). Forensic aspects of medical student abuse: A Canadian perspective. The Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 24, 377-385. [21] Moscarello, R. et al. (1994). Differences in abuse reported by female and male Canadian medical students. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 150, 357-363. [22] Paice, E. et al. (2004). Bullying among doctors in training: Cross sectional questionnaire survey. British Medical Journal, 329, 658-659.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.38133.502569.AE [23] Quine, L. (2002). Workplace bullying in junior doctors: Questionnaire survey. British Medical Journal, 324, 878-879.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7342.878 [24] Quine, L. (1999). Workplace bullying in NHS community trust: Staff questionnaire survey. BMJ, 318, 228-232.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7178.228 [25] Roberts, S. et al. (2009). The effect of oppressed group behaviors on the culture of the nursing workplace: A review of the evidence and interventions for change. Journal of Nursing Management, 10, 1365-1374. [26] Rosenstein, A., & O’Daniel, M. (2005). Disruptive behavior and clinical outcomes: Perceptions of nurses and physicians. The American Journal of Nursing, 105, 54-64.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00000446-200501000-00025 [27] Stratton, T. et al. (2005). Does students’ exposure to gender discrimination and sexual harassment in medical school affect specialty choice and residency program selection? Academic Medicine, 80, 400-408.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200504000-00020 [28] Uhari, M. et al. (1994). Medical student abuse: An international phenomenon. JAMA, 271, 1049-1051.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.271.13.1049 [29] Vanineveld, C. et al. (1998). Discrimination and abuse in internal medicine residency. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 11, 401-405.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02600186 [30] White, G. (2000). Sexual harassment during medical training: The perceptions of medical students at a university medical school in Australia. Medical Education, 34, 980-986.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2923.2000.00684.x