chapter 12 | Promoting a Healthy Workplace 179What if, in spite of all precautions, violence occurs?
What should you do? You should:
■Report to your supervisor. Report threats as well
as actual violence. Include a description of the
situation; names of victims, witnesses, and per-
petrators; and any other pertinent information.
■Call the police. Although the assault is in the
workplace, nurses are entitled to the same rights
as workers assaulted in another setting.
■Get medical attention. This includes medical
care, counseling, and evaluation.
■Contact your collective bargaining unit or your
state nurses association. Inform them if the
problems persist.
■Be proactive. Get involved in policy making
(nursingworld.org/ajn/2001/jul/issues).
Violence in the workplace can also be the result of
horizontal violence or interactive workplace trauma.
These terms denote a workplace that is infested
with one or more “bullies.” These bullies project
domineering and aggressive behaviors toward oth-
ers, usually when the other person is preoccupied or
unaware. Individuals who desire to control others
may use a variety of approaches, including verbal
abuse, punishment, criticism, put-downs, and mali-
cious gossip. Unfortunately, these individuals are
often not identified during the employment inter-
view. Bullies in the workplace may be coworkers,
superiors, or subordinates. Regardless of their place
on the organizational chart, bullies can cause a great
deal of distress to others in the workplace. Barbara
Broome (2008) states that bullies are like sharks.
The shark tries to dominate the other fish and have
a superior presence. They attack aggressively, and
when the victim bleeds, the victim becomes a fatal-
ity. Broome has suggestions for dealing with bullies
in the workplace:
■Assume all identified “fish” are “sharks.” Until
you get to know people, do not make assump-
tions one way or the other.
■Do not “bleed.” Crying or arguing only makes
the bully more aggressive. Remove yourself from
the presence of the shark.
■Admit it is difficult not to bleed, but know
you can. Control your anger, and deal with facts
only.
■Counter any aggression promptly. Recognize
that aggression is often a prelude to an attack.
■Avoid ingratiating behaviors. You might believe
that these will ward off the attack, but they will
not, and you could still “lose your limb.”
■Respond to all inappropriate behaviors appro-
priately. Bullies often believe that you will forget
what they did in the last attack. Always respond
appropriately.
■Make it known that the behavior is unaccept-
able and will not be tolerated. If the behavior
continues, file a written complaint with Human
Resources.Sexual Harassment
A new supervisor on the unit needed to be hired.
After months of interviewing, the candidate selected
was a young male nurse whom the staff members
jokingly described as “a blond Tom Cruise.” The new
supervisor was an instant hit with the predomi-
nantly female executives and staff members.
However, he soon found himself on the receiving
end of sexual jokes and innuendoes. He had been
trying to prove himself a competent supervisor, with
hopes of eventually moving up to a higher manage-
ment position. He viewed the behavior of the female
staff members and supervisors as undermining his
credibility, in addition to being embarrassing and
annoying. He attempted to have the unwelcome
conduct stopped by discussing it with his boss, a
female nurse manager. She told him jokingly that it
was nothing more than “good-natured fun” and
besides, “men can’t be harassed by women”
(Outwater, 1994).
In spite of the requirement for workplace educa-
tion, sexual harassment remains one of the mostbox 12-5
Steps Toward Increasing Protection
From Workplace Violence- Security personnel and escorts
- Panic buttons in medication rooms, stairwells, activity
rooms, and nursing stations - Bulletproof glass in reception, triage, and admitting areas
- Locked or key-coded access doors
- Closed-circuit television
- Metal detectors
- Use of beepers and/or cellular car phones
- Handheld alarms or noise devices
- Lighted parking lots
- Escort or buddy system
- Enforced wearing of photo identification badges
Adapted from Simonowitz, J. (1994). Violence in the workplace: You’re
entitled to protection.RN, 57(11), 61–63; nursingworld.org/dlwa/osh/wp6.