Abstract
Horizontal violence is a significant issue confronting the nursing profession both in Australia and internationally. The term horizontal violence is used to describe bullying and aggression involving inter-group conflict. Some evidence suggests that nursing students commonly experience this during clinical placement(s). Despite the current shortage of nurses and the fact that clinical placement experiences may influence whether students remain in the nursing profession, there has been little research undertaken on this topic. This study used a questionnaire to investigate 152 second and third year nursing student's experiences of horizontal violence (either directly experienced or witnessed). Analysis identified five major themes: humiliation and lack of respect; powerlessness and becoming invisible; hierarchical nature of horizontal violence; coping strategies; and future employment choices. More than half of the sample indicated that they had experienced or witnessed horizontal violence; importantly, most of these (51% of the total sample) also indicated that it would impact on their future career and/or their employment choices. Strategies are discussed that could be implemented to reduce the effect of horizontal violence, including giving a higher priority to debriefing within a supportive university environment, and teaching assertiveness and conflict resolution skills within the Bachelor of Nursing Degree.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.