Some things never change. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west, and nurses eat their young. Seriously, there are some days when nurses get so catty with each other, I just want to put out a saucer of milk at the nursing station and call it a day. I’ve been getting a lot of questions and comments lately from new nurses about lateral violence in the workplace. This letter caught my attention:

Hello, I am new to this blog. I barely know what a blog is. I am a brand new LPN. I am also a Trans woman (I don’t like the terms “Transgendered” or “Transsexual”). I have already lost my first nursing job, there were some very nasty nurses there, but some really nice ones too. I am pretty naive, and I trust people, I do my work, and don’t have time for “politics” or shenanigans. I was a manager in another profession for 20 years, and I never experienced anything like this… I think I need some advice from my colleagues out there…

Thanks, Nickie

Dear Nickie:

Lateral violence is a very serious problem because it is insidious, costly, and it drives talented nurses out of the profession. It has also been linked to high nursing turnover, increased illness and absenteeism, and lower quality of patient care.

Researchers have come up with few reasons why some nurses engage in psychological harassment against new nurse, as well as seasoned nurses in the workplace. One theory suggests that nurses use verbal abuse, exclusion, unfair work assignments, intimidation, and other forms of psychological harassment against their colleagues because they feel powerless in their work environment. Nurses are given little control over their work environment while being held responsible for everything that happens on the unit. Most angry nurses are unable to confront their oppressors (hospital administrators), so they take their frustration out on individuals with lesser status. That means that new graduate nurses catch most of the flack. Is it fair? No, it’s not, but it happens all of the time. Lateral violence is symptomatic of unhealthy organizational dynamics.

Martha Griffin, RN, PhD, clinical specialist and program coordinator of nursing professional development at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston spearheaded a research project about nurse on nurse violence, and she’s come up with some ideas on how to respond to peers that are engaging in this type of destructive behavior. Griffin says that communication and confronting passive-aggressive behavior are key components to solving nurse on nurse violence in the workplace. You can learn more about Griffin’s research in this article published by Nursing Spectrum Magazine.

I also think that there are deeper, more insidious things going on in your situation. Unit bullies are notorious for going after people who look different, hold different beliefs, or who live an alternative lifestyle. Many years ago, a nurse manager berated one of my gay nursing colleagues because of his sexual preference. This incident happened in front of at least three witnesses. None of the witnesses could believe what they were seeing. My friend took action. He filed a complaint with state and federal agencies, and the hospital dismissed the nurse manager. Know your rights under the law, and take action if you feel that you are a victim of lateral violence in the workplace.

Do you have advice for nurses taunted at work, or are you a victim of lateral violence in the workplace? Come and join the conversation at NursingVoices. We need to hear your voice now.