RESPOND TO THESE PEERS DISCUSSION
jane
According to the Clark Healthy Workplace Inventory, the civility score for my workplace was 74, which indicates moderately healthy (“Clark Healthy,” 2015). My workplace scored high in the areas of celebrating individual achievements and fair and equitable treatment. On the contrary, it scored low in the areas of joint decision making and providing comprehensive mentoring programs. My workplace is determined to civil, and that is what I expected from my experiences and observations working at my current organization.
Incivility and bullying in healthcare settings have far-reaching consequences, affecting individuals, teams, and organizations. Uncivil interactions among healthcare workers can erode self-confidence, compromise moral courage, and ultimately jeopardize patient safety, leading to potentially life-threatening errors or complications (Clark, 2019). Studies indicate that a significant portion of medication errors and adverse events can be attributed to disruptive behaviors, with nurses particularly vulnerable to abuse from peers and physicians (Clark, 2019). Bullying, characterized by repeated harmful actions intended to humiliate or distress, poses even greater risks, disrupting patient care and contributing to negative nursing outcomes such as dissatisfaction and turnover. Patient safety efforts increasingly recognize the importance of addressing disrespect in healthcare environments, as it correlates with a worse patient experience, increased risk of physical harm, and higher levels of staff disengagement (Clark, 2019). Ultimately, fostering a culture of civility and eliminating bullying is crucial for ensuring patient safety and promoting a positive work environment in healthcare settings.
There were only one incidence of bullying during the time of work at my organization. It occurred when I was new and orienting, a seasoned nurse treated me with unfair criticism in a disrespectful, condescending manner. Like studies illustrate, it created an unhealthy work environment and disrupted patient care. I responded to the problem by bringing the conflict to the charge nurse. Fortunately, the charge nurse addressed the problem by sincerely apologizing for the incident and communicating with the other nurse to correct the disruptive behavior. Since then, bullying has not happened again. The persistence of incivility in nursing is evident, with study findings reaffirming its detrimental impact on the workplace experience for new nurses (McDermott et al., 2021). Addressing this issue requires a collective effort from nurses and leaders to foster a culture of clinician well-being. Educational interventions aimed at combating incivility should also involve nurse leaders, enabling them to develop the competencies needed to protect unit culture and support novice nurses in navigating and mitigating incivility.
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ANN M
The results of the Clark Healthy Workplace Inventory produced a score of 59. Two surprising items brought to this writer’s attention are that the hospital does not assess the organizational culture or make measurements for improvement, and there is little to no emphasis on employee wellness and self-care. One area believed prior to conducting the assessment that was confirmed is that there are sufficient opportunities for promotion and career advancement. The results of the assessment suggest an unhealthy workplace. One concept the organization could apply is adopting a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of workplace aggression (Clark, 2019). Nearly 33 percent of nurses leave the profession within the first three years due to bullying (Hover & Williams, 2022). Organizations are responsible for creating a healthy work environment where a nurse feels safe and supported, does not have to worry about bullying, rude remarks or gestures, and has support from management. Incivility in the workplace has adverse effects on patients and the organization, causing nearly 80 percent of medication errors and causing approximately 30 percent of nurses to leave the organization (Clark, 2019). Incivility has financial implications for an organization. The organization has the costs associated with medical errors and an increased cost of training nurses due to a high turnover rate. Incivility in the workplace shows a higher rate of work dissatisfaction, depression, and reduced health, causing anxiety, increased illness, and sleep disruptions (McDermott et al., 2021). The physiological effects of workplace incivility have even caused some nurses to commit suicide.
Even though the assessment score is 59, this writer feels the workplace is more civil than not. Nurses in this organization help and support each other. Nurses ask each other questions about policies, medications, and patient care. These nurses are willing to help one another despite being overwhelmed with individual work. This writer has floated to multiple units and has not heard any nurse belittle, bully, or negatively speak about another nurse.
One example where this nurse has experienced incivility was when this nurse has been working as a nurse for about six months. A nurse working on the unit had a reputation for being a bully. During the shift change report, this nurse noticed the patient had a low potassium, which was not treated. This nurse loudly said, “Why did you not treat the potassium? We work in a cardiac unit. You should know this, or maybe you need to go back to school. I want you to treat the potassium before you leave this morning.” Being a newer nurse, this writer did not say anything. However, the other nurses on the unit went up to the other nurse, saying the behavior was inappropriate and that nursing is a continuation of care. The other nurses then instructed this writer to leave and to let the oncoming nurse treat the potassium. Management was aware of this nurse’s behavior. This nurse would get written up often, but did not make improvements and never got fired.
