Bullying experience of undergraduate nurse students during clinical placement in Henan Province, China

Introduction

To investigate the nature and scope of bullying as reported by senior nursing students during their clinical placement.

Method

The questionnaire used for this study was uploaded to an online survey provider at https://www.wenjuan.com/. The revised survey (the Student Experience of Bullying During Clinical Placement survey) was conducted at a central China university. Descriptive statistics were applied.

Results

Four hundred nine of the 624 individuals reported being bullied while undergoing clinical practice. The sources of the upsetting experience included patients, patients' families, nursing staff, and clinical nursing teachers. The individuals who were being bullied acknowledged considering quitting as nurses. They claimed that throughout their clinical placement, bullying at work had a detrimental effect on their feelings. Because of the perception that bullying is typical in clinical settings and the fear of reprisals, bullying was seldom reported.

Discussion

In the clinical placement, bullying of nursing students was common. Academic institutions must be proactive in developing students’ ability to address bullying. Healthcare organizations need to take the initiative towards workplace bullying policies to reduce the phenomenon.