Question

Write a response on a Professional Issue within Nursing of your choosing. Select a minimum of two (2) research articles from scholarly, peer-reviewed (refereed) journals regarding the Professional Issue and its relevance to current nursing practice. The assignment can compare and contrast the different sides to an issue, provide support to one side of an issue, or to create an action plan of how to manage a situation. Use critical thinking to analyze and evaluate the issue chosen. The articles must be current to within the past seven (7) years.

Some examples of Professional Issues within Nursing include, but are not limited to: • Access to healthcare • Nurse to Nurse Bullying • Disparities in healthcare • Health insurance coverage, health care financial concerns or fiscal responsibility • Importance of orientation to retention of nurses • Infections (CAUTI, sepsis), staffing needs, and scheduling practices and other safety concerns • Malpractice or other legal responsibilities • Withdrawing treatment vs. Advanced directives and other ethical concerns • The move toward more community care and other community concerns • Ideas on how to deal with conflict or have difficult discussions, how to use therapeutic communication in the workplace, giving specific examples.

Answer 1

Professional issues within nursing :

Topic: Nurse to nurse bullying

Nursing is a noble profession with many principles and ethics and is a ' Call to Serve ' . The ultimate goal of nursing profession is to promote health, prevent illness, alleviate and cure lllness , also to ensure a peaceful death, when it is eminent. Self respect,  respect for the client and family and respect for each other among the members of the profession are the corner stones of the Nursing profession.  

Bullying is an act of intimidating a weaker person to do something , especially such repeated coercion . Nurse to nurse bullying is an evil that deteriorate the dignity of the profession. Reports show that 60 % nurses are leaving from their first job position due to the bullying experiences and also many used to leave the profession forever. Nurse to nurse bullying is an important issue in nursing profession, that has to be taken seriously by the nurse managers and regulatory bodies . It causes invisible but cumulative and psychological damage to the nurses who experience and witnessing the bullying.

Causes of nurse to nurse bullying:

Nurse to nurse bullying is also called as lateral violence, inactivity, horizontal hostility, aggression in nursing etc. It may occur  in the form of verbal, emotional or physical abuse, threatening, intimidating , humiliating , causing work interference etc. The main causes are jealousy , being in fear of changes, feelings of inadequacy, non adherence to standards etc.

Behavioural Signs of bullying :

* Intimidation and shouting

* verbal and emotional abuse

* making comments or humiliating

* cursing

* Constant harassment and criticism

* degrading another person's work

* denying vacations and promotions

* withholding needed information about patient and work

* Unfair assignments

* spreading gossips

Consequences of Nurse to nurse bullying:

Bullying  is a sepsis in the profession and it may cause emotional pain in the victim. Also the victim may feel excessive worry , anxiety, depression, helplessness, stress . In extreme cass it may lead to Post Traumatic stress disorder , suicide etc. The psychological stress also may affect the nurse physically in the form of head ache , gastritis, loss of concentration and sleep disturbances.

Nurse to nurse bullying may create a lack of job satisfaction, unnecessary leaving from job or profession. It also affect patient care and safety of the patient.  

Prevention and solutions:

* It is the responsibility of the nurses , who experience or witness a bullying to report to the managers or to the authorities .

* The Healthcare facility should have a written policy concerning bullying and necessary actions have to take against the staff , who engages in bullying.  

* Organize awareness programmes about nurse to nurse bullying and its solutions in the facility.

* Nurse managers should act as an example for other nurses and co workers. She has to supervise the work environment and identify the staff who engages in bullying through regular feedback from the staff nurses and also she has to identify the signs of bullying among the staffs.  

* Nuses should develop an attitude of ' Give respect and take respect ' . She has have the respect for the patient as well as the respect for the co workers.  

The Joint Commission now made it mandatory for the organisations to address the issue properly and have a written policy for it , for the Accreditation purpose.