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chapter 12 | Promoting a Healthy Workplace 179 CikguOnline
box 12-5 a superior presence. They attack aggressively, and
when the victim bleeds, the victim becomes a fatal-
Steps Toward Increasing Protection
From Workplace Violence ity. Broome has suggestions for dealing with bullies
in the workplace:
• Security personnel and escorts
• Panic buttons in medication rooms, stairwells, activity ■ Assume all identified “fish” are “sharks.” Until
rooms, and nursing stations
• Bulletproof glass in reception, triage, and admitting areas you get to know people, do not make assump-
• Locked or key-coded access doors tions one way or the other.
• Closed-circuit television ■ Do not “bleed.” Crying or arguing only makes
• Metal detectors the bully more aggressive. Remove yourself from
• Use of beepers and/or cellular car phones the presence of the shark.
• Handheld alarms or noise devices
• Lighted parking lots ■ Admit it is difficult not to bleed, but know
• Escort or buddy system you can. Control your anger, and deal with facts
• Enforced wearing of photo identification badges only.
Adapted from Simonowitz, J. (1994). Violence in the workplace: You’re ■ Counter any aggression promptly. Recognize
entitled to protection. RN, 57(11), 61–63; nursingworld.org/dlwa/osh/wp6. that aggression is often a prelude to an attack.
■ Avoid ingratiating behaviors. You might believe
that these will ward off the attack, but they will
What if, in spite of all precautions, violence occurs?
not, and you could still “lose your limb.”
What should you do? You should:
■ Respond to all inappropriate behaviors appro-
■ Report to your supervisor. Report threats as well priately. Bullies often believe that you will forget
as actual violence. Include a description of the what they did in the last attack. Always respond
situation; names of victims, witnesses, and per- appropriately.
petrators; and any other pertinent information. ■ Make it known that the behavior is unaccept-
■ Call the police. Although the assault is in the able and will not be tolerated. If the behavior
workplace, nurses are entitled to the same rights continues, file a written complaint with Human
as workers assaulted in another setting. Resources.
■ Get medical attention. This includes medical
care, counseling, and evaluation. Sexual Harassment
■ Contact your collective bargaining unit or your
state nurses association. Inform them if the A new supervisor on the unit needed to be hired.
problems persist. After months of interviewing, the candidate selected
■ Be proactive. Get involved in policy making was a young male nurse whom the staff members
(nursingworld.org/ajn/2001/jul/issues). jokingly described as “a blond Tom Cruise.”The new
supervisor was an instant hit with the predomi-
Violence in the workplace can also be the result of
nantly female executives and staff members.
horizontal violence or interactive workplace trauma.
However, he soon found himself on the receiving
These terms denote a workplace that is infested
end of sexual jokes and innuendoes. He had been
with one or more “bullies.” These bullies project
trying to prove himself a competent supervisor, with
domineering and aggressive behaviors toward oth-
hopes of eventually moving up to a higher manage-
ers, usually when the other person is preoccupied or
ment position. He viewed the behavior of the female
unaware. Individuals who desire to control others
staff members and supervisors as undermining his
may use a variety of approaches, including verbal
credibility, in addition to being embarrassing and
abuse, punishment, criticism, put-downs, and mali-
annoying. He attempted to have the unwelcome
cious gossip. Unfortunately, these individuals are
conduct stopped by discussing it with his boss, a
often not identified during the employment inter-
female nurse manager. She told him jokingly that it
view. Bullies in the workplace may be coworkers,
was nothing more than “good-natured fun” and
superiors, or subordinates. Regardless of their place
besides, “men can’t be harassed by women”
on the organizational chart, bullies can cause a great
(Outwater, 1994).
deal of distress to others in the workplace. Barbara
Broome (2008) states that bullies are like sharks. In spite of the requirement for workplace educa-
The shark tries to dominate the other fish and have tion, sexual harassment remains one of the most