Workplace Bullying in Healthcare: Part 3.

Abstract

As many as 53.5 million American workers have experienced workplace bullying, which can cost organizations an estimated $200 billion annually in lost productivity, increased sick d ays, increased med ical claims, legal costs, and staff turnover. Bullying can occur in any profession, but for many reasons it is most prevalent in healthcare. Bullying behavior in healthcare has been reported and documented in literature for over 35 years. Although physicians are often considered to be the primary culprit of bullying, healthcare bullies can be one any one of the professionals who work in the organization including nurses, radiology technologists, pharmacists, ancillary staff personnel, administrators, or other non-physician staff members. The first installment of the series focused on defining bullying and its impact on the organization. Part 2 discussed three legal protections for the bully to include at-will laws, unions, and bylaws related to physician privileging. The final installment in this series will evaluate specific bully types and implementing processes to address inappropriate behavior.