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Workplace Bullying in the OR: Results of a Descriptive Study
Author(s) -
Chipps Esther,
Stelmaschuk Stephanie,
Albert Nancy M.,
Bernhard Linda,
Holloman Christopher
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
aorn journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1878-0369
pISSN - 0001-2092
DOI - 10.1016/j.aorn.2013.08.015
Subject(s) - workplace bullying , ethnic group , perioperative , medicine , patient safety , occupational safety and health , perioperative nursing , perception , psychology , human factors and ergonomics , family medicine , clinical psychology , nursing , poison control , medical emergency , social psychology , health care , surgery , pathology , neuroscience , sociology , anthropology , economics , economic growth
This study describes the incidence of workplace bullying among perioperative RNs, surgical technologists, and unlicensed perioperative personnel in two academic medical centers. The study sought to determine whether the demographic variables of gender, ethnicity, hospital, years of experience on the unit, years in the profession, and job title predict the experience of workplace bullying; whether a relationship exists between workplace bullying and emotional exhaustion; and whether bullying is associated with perceptions of patient safety in the OR. The cross‐sectional design included perioperative nurses, surgical technologists, and unlicensed perioperative personnel (N = 167). Fifty‐nine percent of the study participants reported witnessing coworker bullying weekly, and 34% reported at least two bullying acts weekly. Having one's opinion ignored is the most common bullying act, with 28% of respondents experiencing being ignored. Differences in the experience of bullying can be found between hospitals and among ethnicities. Emotional exhaustion also was correlated with bullying. The participants did not perceive bullying as affecting patient safety.