NZ nurses wanted for research into perioperative nurse bullying

Email your letter to: [email protected].

We want to hear from you if you’re a nurse who’s been bullied* in the past 5 years

Workplace bullying is prevalent in nursing, yet organisational interventions have often failed to produce the intended positive outcomes.

We’re Massey University researchers exploring how the challenges nurses face in coping with bullying may affect the success of organisational responses.

If you’re interested in participating or want to know more about this study, please contact Dr Vasudha Rao on: [email protected]

*Bullying refers to repeated, unwanted negative behaviours like harassment, exclusion, or undermining work.

We reserve the right to edit letters for sense and length. Shorter letters (under 400 words) are preferred. Please include address, nursing qualifications and phone number.

I am an Irish nurse who has worked in Scotland and am now working in Australia. In my almost 40 years of nursing (17 of those as an operating theatre nurse) I have been subjected to inter-nurse bullying on two different occasions. Over time, I have noticed that both new and experienced nurses lack information on how to deal with it.

I sought resources to help and provide direction but only found assistance on managing the aftermath rather than dealing with the situation. I was even told, at times, that bullying does not exist any longer.

Thus, the subject of my masters (nursing leadership) thesis at University of the Sunshine Coast became: “Does inter-nurse bullying exist among perioperative nurses in Australia and New Zealand?” And this is where I need your help.

Below is a link to the anonymous survey; which I would be most grateful if you could complete. Please feel free to share the link with your colleagues as well. There is a link on the site to provide your details if you want a copy of the results.

https://uniofsunshinecoast.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0Uno1Lbzk2BPWXc

Margarette Somerville, RN, BHSc (public health)
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland

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