Examples Of Horizontal Violence In Nursing

Now a days, in the healthcare field the nurses are known to prevent, promote and improve the health and abilities of patients, families and communities. It is very heartbreaking to hear that in this honorable profession exists violence, bullying which is among not only nurses but also other healthcare professionals. According to the article, Reducing Violence Against Nurses: The Violence Prevention Community Meeting, violence is defined as any verbal or physical behavior resulting in, or intended to result in, physical or physiological injury, pain, or harm. In the healthcare field the term that is used when there is violence between coworkers is called horizontal violence. This is a term that is continued to be used but some hospitals have replaced it with the terms bullying or lateral violence. Horizontal violence is violence between nurses and it explains the behavior nurses have toward their coworkers and other healthcare professionals. This type of violence interferes with working together as a team and communicating between coworkers, which are things that are needed to promote and care for others.

Horizontal violence is an action that has been reported and documented in nursing and other healthcare professions for many years. This type of behavior between nurses has provided very discouraging and truly serious outcomes for nursing professionals and unfortunately for their patients as well. Horizontal violence is “hostile, aggressive, and harmful behavior by a nurse or group of nurses via attitudes, actions words, and/or behaviors.”(Becher, J. & Visovsky, C (2012)). This can be done either overt or covert. Overt, done openly, is when the victim is experiencing name calling, bickering between colleagues, fault finding, c...

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... Other contributing factors could be the person’s gender, generational differences, religion, or fear of retaliation.

As a healthcare professional, everyone that we encounter with is perceived differently and each patient is treated differently depending on what is needed. Horizontal violence, on the other hand, is considered to be subjective, meaning that the effects differ person to person. The effects of the person may grow if they are not addressed. One of the traits that all nurses, I believe, must have is to be able to work as a team. This trait regrettably can offset due to verbal abuse and other intimidating behaviors that can cause health professionals to refuse to share information needed to provide the best patient care. Communication between colleagues is needed because if does not exist this will again affect the patients care and their own safety.