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Exploring Workplace Bullying in Nursing
Introduction
Workplace bullying is a persistent behavioral pattern of mistreatment that an individual or a group of individuals direct at others with an intention to cause physical or psychological harm. Lately, this phenomenon has been drawing much attention from researchers, for more and more employers are starting to heed not only the mechanics of work processes but also relationships between coworkers. It is abundantly easy to see how negative personal dynamics may disrupt a work environment and lead to adverse health outcomes in bullied employees.
The issue of bullying transcends nations, genders, ages, and fields of occupation, and it comes as no surprise that the nursing field is not an exception. This paper critiques Etiennes 2013 study of workplace bullying in nursing and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the research.
Research Problem/ Purpose
Medical practitioners work under constant pressure, and psychological discomfort may hinder them from fulfilling their duties with a high degree of commitment and precision. The purpose of Etiennes study was to establish how widespread bullying behavior was in the nursing field in the Pacific Northwest. Etienne was not the first to embark on investigating employees mistreatment in nursing, for a number of similar studies have already taken place in several countries (Edward, Ousey, Warlow & Lui, 2014).
However, it is crucial to examine the issue locally, and in case the data reveals new patterns and tendencies, it is possible to extend the existing theoretical framework. From the literature review, the rationale of Etiennes research becomes exceedingly evident. There is substantial evidence of the nursing shortage in the US workforce, and toxic relationships between coworkers belonging to different age groups may be one of the reasons why some professionals leave the field (Willis, Coustasse & Cox, 2014). Tackling the issue is only possible through fully realizing its graveness which one may conclude from recent, relevant data.
Review of the Literature
The literature review is broken down into three parts: the first one deals with the most recent studies with similar purposes, the second one discusses the reasons for bullying, and the last one outlines the effects of such behavior. The most sources cited in the body of the paper are recent and dated between 2005 and 2012. Only one source in the Reasons section is a standalone reference as it is dated 1983 (Etienne, 2013). Normally, a researcher would be advised against using a study conducted more than 30 years ago, given that the paper under examination deals with the current trends. However, the outdated studys findings are in line with those of the more recent ones which justifies its use to some extent.
Theoretical Framework
Etienne provided clear and well-defined theoretical concepts for her study. For the most part, the research drew solely on nursing theory, for instance, when the author explained the most persistent types of bullying and the employees dynamics that permeate the nursing field. However, in some cases, Etienne (2013) resorted to using less specific studies and theories when she gave the definitions of workplace bullying and bullies since they apply to many fields.
The author concluded that the possible reasons for workplace bullying were actors personal issues and ambitions that put their career advancements above other peoples comfort. As for the outcomes, as per the theoretical framework given, bullied nurses suffered from adverse health outcomes and lost the ability to treat patients adequately.
Variables/Hypotheses/Questions/Assumptions
In this study, the independent variables were the total number of respondents and the number of criteria for bullying behavior. In turn, the dependent variable was the persistence of the issue in the nursing field in the Northwest Pacific. The dependent variable was operationalized and defined as the percentage of those who were exposed to bullying in the workplace. For a person to qualify as a victim of workplace mistreatment he or she had to answer yes to two or more out of twenty-two criteria and report that the exposure was regular and repeated (Etienne, 2013). Etienne stated a hypothesis and assumed that the results of the study might be akin to those of previous ones, and namely, reveal that a significant percentage of nurses had suffered from abuse.
Methodology
Etienne conducted quantitative research, an empirical investigation of the issue of bullying that helped to reveal the number of nurses subjected to mistreatment and statistically prevalent types of bullying. The study operated inductive reasoning, and the studys purpose was to draw statistics from the gathered data that could be representative and inferential for larger population groups. Etienne (2013) contacted 10,000 registered nurses in the Northwest Pacific states and suggested they filled in a short questionnaire. The sampling method may be categorized as non-randomized convenience sampling. It was non-probability sampling since Etienne only used the states professional associations database.
The study took place online as the respondents were invited to participate in an Internet survey via an electronic newsletter. When it comes to this type of study, the usual concerns are the high level of subjectivity in respondents perception of the issue. Moreover, some of the criteria for bullying were rather vague. For instance, being ignored or excluded may be caused by interpersonal conflicts that do not adhere to the definition of bullying. Since this research may be categorized as sensitive, the author ensured full confidentiality and anonymity of the survey.
Data Analysis
In her study, Etienne employed statistical methods that included data collection, analysis, meaningful interpretation, and reporting of the findings. The author presented the results in an extensive table titled Frequency of negative acts experienced by respondents. In that table, Etienne listed all the criteria that qualified behavioral patterns as bullying and provided the percentage of the participants that experienced each type of mistreatment on the regular basis, sometimes, and never. In the Results section of the study, Etienne summarized the studys findings, for instance, she revealed that 48% of respondents were exposed to bullying behavior in the workplace.
Summary/Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations
The primary strength of Etiennes study is its comprehensive theoretical framework that enabled the creation of a well-detailed questionnaire that encompassed numerous types of bullying behaviors. One may contend that this questionnaire may be put to good use by other researchers even outside the nursing field. The greatest limitation of the study was the extremely low response rate as only 1% of invited nurses proceeded with participation. It might have introduced voluntary response bias since those who experienced the problem were more likely to come forward and report on that. This fact may explain the high rate of exposure to bullying among the respondents that supersedes that of previous studies.
Extrapolating the statistics on other populations may be problematic because the overwhelming majority of respondents were white and female. This research is, however, useful in capitalizing on the problem of workplace bullying in the nursing field and may compel others to research the phenomenon further and address it more efficiently.
References
Edward, K. L., Ousey, K., Warelow, P., & Lui, S. (2014). Nursing and aggression in the workplace: A systematic review. British Journal of Nursing, 23(12), 653-659.
Etienne, E. (2013). Exploring workplace bullying in nursing. Workplace Health and Safety, 62(1), 6-11.
Willis, W. K., Coustasse, A., & Cox, P. (2014). The American epidemic: The U.S. nursing shortage and turnover problem. Web.
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