Nurse to Nurse Hostility: A Cause of Concern

Abstract

Workplace aggression can have devastating effects on nurse's productivity and their morale. Usually the young and the novice nurses are the victims of lateral violence. Nurse to nurse hostility is the perfect crime which sabotages the work environment and creates a sense of insecurity among nurses. If left unaddressed, the impact is felt at all levels: individual, professional and organizational. Workplace bullying can take a major toll on nurse's mental health as well as creating serious physical consequences. It is unacceptable and should not be tolerated in any workplace. Nurses, midwives and assistants in nursing have the right to work in a safe and healthy work environment free from violence and aggression. Hence it is the need of the hour for the organizations to chalk out the strategies to control and prevent nurse to nurse hostility and promote safe working practices in health care industries for the nurses. Nurse administrators should emphasize the need for nurses to communicate any questions or concerns they may have about hazards of horizontal hostility. This article examines the many facets of nurse to nurse hostility and suggests ways to deal with it and move toward more healthy styles of relationships and interactions in the work environment.