NR 500 Week 7 Discussion Topic, Healthful Environments (Two Versions)

NR 500 Week 7 Discussion Topic, Healthful Environments (Two Versions) Good afternoon Instructor and class, According to the ANA, incivility is one or more negative actions that may or may not have a negative intent behind them but are consistent with negative results and bullying is harmful or unwanted repeated actions that humiliate or offend another person causing them distress. In nursing this can be very serious and can have negative implications on work environment and patient care and safety one (Incivility, Bullying, and Workplace Violence, 2017). As I think about this topic I cannot help but to remember a situation that I was in as a seasoned nurse in a new unit. I was eager to begin a new chapter in my nursing career. I started on the new unit but was a specialty area that I had many years of experience in. As I learned the new routine and different approach to doing things that I was already familiar with, I soon felt a disconnect with a few of my new co-workers. Most of my new peers were welcoming and friendly but a few took every opportunity to leave me out of conversation, ignored and questions I asked, complained when asked to assist me, and often snickered behind my back knowing that I was aware of it. As time went on, others in my unit spoke up and told me that this behavior from this group was very common and the new nurses usually had to “get through them” to make it in the unit. I felt that this was so childish but still a behavior that I had seem much too often in my profession. As I learned to work around the tension and made it through the new phase of my job, soon another new nurse came along and sure enough they did this same thing to her, and the one after, and the one after that. The sad part of this is that my then manager turned a blind eye to it all and we did end up losing several good nurses who decided that the grief was not worth it and transferred to another unit soon after starting. This small group of “Mean girls” at some point broke apart… One moved to another state, another was let go for reasons that did not apply to the unit and the other two turned on each other. Thing did work out for me but the trial period was not fun at all! Today as a seasoned nurse in this unit I can’t help but be reminded of how I felt when treated this way. If I catch myself not being as supportive as I should be to someone or see others struggling to work together in a friendly, professional manner, I now lead by example. A friendly face and kind word goes a long way when you are the new kid on the block. I really do wish that my unit manager had been more intolerant of this behavior from them and feel that it tolerated for way too long. Incivility, bullying, and violence in the workplace are common concerns in nursing and many other professions as well. Many states have now adopted workplace standards that are aimed at protecting employees from bulling and harassment like this. ANA has made a stand for nurses against workplace violence by advocating, placing policies in place for standards of behavior and making resources available to support potential victims and strives to make the working environment for nurses a safe and respectful one (Incivility, Bullying, and Workplace Violence, 2017). Thanks, Incivility, Bullying, and Workplace Violence. (2017). Retrieved October 07, 2017, from