As the population is starting to head back into their offices, even in healthcare settings, there is something that cannot be ignored. Workplace violence and the enormous break for individuals to work from home with minimal in-person interaction have been a blessing, or has it? The next few months to a year will be interesting to see the shift of how businesses and facilities will adapt with this resumed high-level push for normalcy. Many those going back to work dread, with the level of anxiety running high, with panic and a false sense of security, to face those again that make them feel incompetent and question their ability. This could be the single parent trying to get by, with helplessness and fear of losing their income for speaking up, it is a choice between paycheck security or mental stability. Burn-out and PTSD set in, as the fear of even losing their licensure from retaliation creates a hostile and uncertain environment for the employee.
In the case of the nurse, the BON holds the facility to high integrity but those reporting are not always willing to be or doing the right thing for the best interest of every party involved; hiding behind the shield of the facility to ultimately retaliate against the employee. Many nurses share their stories with us and it is becoming a horrible trend that is simply a culture allowed and coveted by administrations as it is business as usual. Little do they realize, it is hurting their bottom line now as nurses and front liners are leaving the beside, and some express that they would rather be a “greeter at a department store” and be happy than deal with the mental baggage and lack of respect handed to them. It is our mission to help nurses, healthcare workers to come together as a team, without retaliation and power struggles to build the professional relationship of respect, kindness, and fairness.
In this semi-post-COVID society, we have a huge challenge ahead, many people that are unvaccinated are now the highest on the admission lists and have a torn down frontline healthcare system that is dwindling away, yet, they expect more and rewarding nurses and CNAs with reusing PPE, reporting the nurse to the BON for speaking up or trying to prevent themselves from getting kicked by Mr. Smith in room 211. As a result, if the worker forgets and does not adhere to the special moves they learned 7 months prior, they will be suspended without pay pending an investigation and even reported for allegedly physically abusing a patient. The nurse or licensed caregiver fights for years trying to defend themselves with lawyers that do not know or listen that this is the trend happening right now in healthcare. The system is set up to fail the frontline healthcare worker; even those that leave the floor to teach, the incivility is even more prominent. The facility that is reporting should be tallied and tracked for the number of reports made, and have their policies and practices scrutinized if it is an ongoing event. Nurses and those on our frontline are afraid to report occurrences out of fear of retaliation and being held accountable despite doing everything right or an innocent error that could have even happened because of the incivility.
The level of incivility in the workplace has been clearly documented to contribute to mistakes from staff members. When facilities and organizations start taking ownership of their own uncivil administration and make the decision to be more patient and staff-centered, it will be more of the same unless there is accountability and transparency within the organizational structure. The transition from isolation to an in-person conversation and the evolving workplace will be our nation’s biggest test with re-learning to build relationships. Hopefully many will be thankful for the renewed beginnings, if not, it will be more of the same until we say ENOUGH and come together to change it.
Dr. Sandra Risoldi DNP, MNS Ed., RN, PMHNP (aka Dr. Sandy)
<div style=”width:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:178%;position:relative;”><iframe src=”https://giphy.com/embed/fjfvpJFaon8Q9883OQ" width=”100%” height=”100%” style=”position:absolute” frameBorder=”0" class=”giphy-embed” allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p><a href=”https://giphy.com/gifs/mask-drsandy-nursesagainstviolence-fjfvpJFaon8Q9883OQ">via GIPHY</a></p>
