Handling Bullying in Healthcare

Bullying in healthcare is more common than we’d like to think, and it can really take a toll—especially on travel nurses who are already juggling the challenges of working in unfamiliar environments. Whether it’s someone being openly rude or those sneaky, subtle put-downs that make you second-guess yourself, bullying is something no healthcare professional should have to endure. 

Michael Gillespie, FlexCare’s Clinical Nurse Director, recently shared some valuable insights on this topic at TravCon. Whether you were able to attend or not, we’ve got you covered with a recap of his key points on how travel nurses can recognize and cope with bullying on the job. 

According to Merriam-Webster 2024, bullying is when someone treats you in a cruel, threatening, or aggressive way. It’s been a thing as far back as 1548—and unfortunately, it still exists in many workplaces, including healthcare. Closely related is incivility, which is basically rudeness or discourteous behavior. While they aren’t exactly the same, incivility can sometimes escalate into full-on bullying if it goes unchecked. 

Bullying in nursing (and healthcare in general) can come from anyone—other nurses, doctors, managers, even patients and their families. For travel nurses, being the “new kid” on a short-term contract can sometimes make them an easier target for this kind of behavior. 

There are two main types of bullying: 

• Overt Bullying: This is the “in your face” kind—obvious and intentional, with no effort to hide it.
• Insidious Bullying: This one’s more sneaky. It’s subtle and might even come from someone who seems friendly on the surface. But behind closed doors, they’re doing things to undermine or belittle you. This type is tricky to catch, and it can be emotional, physical, or both. 

If you’re a traveler, you may feel particularly vulnerable to either type since you’re often seen as an outsider with a temporary role. It can be tough but knowing what to look for can help you protect yourself. 

Bullying often stems from deeper issues, like power struggles, jealousy, burnout, or even personal problems people are bringing to work. The high-pressure nature of healthcare doesn’t help either, as stress can bring out the worst in people. Still, none of these are excuses for unprofessional behavior, and it’s important to recognize that this toxic dynamic affects not only healthcare workers but patient care, too. 

Bullying impacts everyone involved: 

• Travel Nurses: You’re already adjusting to new facilities and teams. Being bullied can add stress and frustration and even make you second-guess your skills.
• Patients: A workplace disrupted by bullying can lead to communication breakdowns, which can, unfortunately, affect patient care.
• The Facility: High turnover, burnout, and low morale caused by bullying can make a bad situation worse for everyone, leading to even more staffing shortages. 

In the short term, bullying can lead to stress, anxiety, and fear, which may make it harder to focus on patient care. But long term, it can get even worse—burnout, depression, PTSD, and even leaving the healthcare field altogether are some of the more severe consequences. Plus, as noted by The Influence of Bullying on Nursing Practice Errors, there’s an increased risk of making mistakes in patient care when you’re dealing with bullying, which can put everyone at risk.

So, how do you handle bullying if it happens to you? Try out this handy framework called Rules of Engagement (ROE) to help guide your responses:

1. Keep Your Cool: Emotions can run high but staying calm and professional will help you manage the situation better. Always aim to de-escalate the situation.

2. Direct Approach: If it’s safe and appropriate, calmly talk to the person bullying you. Let them know how you feel and ask if something you did upset them. It’s okay to give them a moment to think (even if the silence feels awkward). Set boundaries and be clear, but don’t push if they’re not willing to engage. If things don’t improve, report it to management and document the incident.

3. Indirect Approach: Sometimes, it’s better to involve management or HR rather than confronting the person directly. Explain the situation and its impact, and request help in resolving it. Be patient and allow time for things to play out. 

Dealing with bullying can be tough, and no one should have to do it alone. That’s why it’s essential to lean on your support system. Whether it’s your recruiter, other travelers, friends, family, or even professional counseling through an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), don’t hesitate to reach out. You deserve to feel supported. 

While there’s no magic solution to stop bullying overnight, keeping your cool, setting boundaries, and protecting your mental health are key. The most important takeaway is that you as the traveler get the bully to stop ‘bullying’ you! Minimize yourself through resilience as the target, and the bully will likely move on. And remember—travel nurses might sometimes need to learn how to work alongside difficult personalities without letting it affect their work or contracts. If you experience harassment or discrimination, report it immediately to your recruiter, HR, or management. 

If you missed this session at TravCon, hopefully, these takeaways from Michael Gillespie’s talk give you some helpful strategies for navigating bullying on your next assignment.

For further reading:

• Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2023). Crucial conversations (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill Contemporary. 
• Gillespie, G. L., Grubb, P. L., Brown, K., Boesch, M. C., & Ulrich, D. (2017). "Nurses Eat Their Young": A Novel Bullying Educational Program for Student Nurses. Journal of nursing education and practice, 7(7), 11–21. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v7n7P11 
• Meissner, J. E. (1986). Nurses: Are we eating our young? Nursing, 16(3), 51–53. https://doi.org/10.1097/00152193-198603000-00014  
• Samman, E. (2021). The Origins of Incivility in Nursing: How Reconstruction-Era Policies and Organizations Impacted Social Behavior Within the Nursing Profession. Creative Nursing, 27(1), 66-70. https://doi.org/10.1891/CRNR-D-20-00085  
• Field, T. (2024). “Traits of the serial bully” Family Lives. https://www.familylives.org.uk/advice/bullying/bullying-at-work/traits-of-the-serial-bully#:~:text=The%20bully%20may%20be%20deceptive,confusion%2C%20disruption%2C%20division%20and%20conflict  
• Johnson, A. H., & Benham-Hutchins, M. (2020). The Influence of Bullying on Nursing Practice Errors: A Systematic Review. AORN Journal, 111(2), 199–210. https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.12923