Junior Filipino nurses have been experiencing an upward trend in bullying behaviours at work as read from social media forums. What’s disheartening is that they’re reporting they’ve been targeted for bullying by their own senior Filipino nurses. It can be in a form of intimidation, spreading rumors, or refusal to share relevant workplace information. In most cases, nurse bullying is the result of ineffective communication between two parties.

What to do if you found yourself a victim of bullying or harassment?

 

1. • Check your employer’s policy on bullying and harassment.

1. • Keep a detailed written record of incident. Make an incident report and a personal diary of events that you can refer back to in case you make a complaint.

1. • Speak to the person directly and tell him/her how their actions are causing you distress.

1. • Talk to others about it. It can be a trusted friend, family, or colleague. Every trust has employee assistance program that you can use.

1. • Speak to your line manager for support.

1. • Consider launching formal action if mediation and informal approaches are not effective. You can contact Royal College of Nursing at any stage if you feel you cannot take action alone or if you want advice on taking legal action.

Nurses can use rehearsed verbal responses such as the statements listed below to foster positive professional relationships.

Don’t say, “Ang tagal mo na dito, ilang months na! Di mo pa rin alam yan?!” (You’ve been here for a few months now and you still don’t know how to figure that out?!”

Say, “Hey (name), it seems like you put a ton of time and effort into this. I can see that something’s not quite right in that part over there. You know, I actually dealt with a situation really similar to this one just a couple of months back. I’d be happy to show you how to work that out.”

There’s always a first time for every new nurse that’s not always found in nursing books. Some basic examples include how to set up wall-mount suction, how to connect humidified oxygen, or how to open an oxygen cylinder. If a new nurse has done an error (not pertaining to a sentinel event), it is a good coaching opportunity for senior nurses. Before saying or doing anything, pause and take a breath. If done right, it won’t demoralize the new nurse and usually lead to a better outcome. 

Don’t say, “Why did you do that?! What were you thinking?!”
Say, “How will you do it differently next time?”

Use the mistake as a teachable moment. Don’t call out the new nurse publicly within earshot of patients and other colleagues. Everyone learns at a different pace and no one willingly wants to create a mistake on top of a stressful workload. It is essential to foster positive work relationships especially among fellow Filipino community to provide excellent patient care and promote nurses’ mental wellbeing.