Incivility in nursing: why nurses should seek support

Bullying nurses may have lost their compassion, and their hurtful behaviour may drive others to leave the profession – but supportive colleagues are out there

One of the questions I have enjoyed asking colleagues and nursing students as a nurse leader, clinician and educator, is: ‘What made you come into nursing?’

• RELATED: Understanding and investigating potential problematic behaviour towards colleagues

No matter where or in what context I ask this question, it is usually greeted with smiles and thoughtful faces, as colleagues go on to tell me about their desire to help, to make a difference, and to care.

Badly behaved colleagues may have lost compassion towards themselves and others

It is therefore surprising and shocking when I witness, or hear about, situations where colleagues have behaved badly towards others.

In most cases this includes the incivility, the bullying and the cynicism that author Bob Price refers to in his insightful and practical CPD article Understanding and investigating potential problematic behaviour towards colleagues.

• RELATED: How can I recognise and support staff with compassion fatigue?

I ask myself whether this behaviour has always been an underlying part of who the person is, or has daily exposure to the suffering of others and the constant demands of caring for patients, alongside a lack of compassionate support, led to this? Or is it the ongoing inability of colleagues to care for themselves?

I suspect that every person who behaves badly towards another may have lost the art of care and compassion towards those in need, their colleagues, and themselves.

Nurses should seek support before leaving the profession due to hurtful behaviour

Sadly, every large organisation has the potential for problematic behaviour to exist, and as Bob Price says, this needs to be addressed.

It is important to recognise that such behaviour hurts others and may be one of the reasons good nurses leave the profession.

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I often remind myself and colleagues I support that at every minute of the day and night there are colleagues, and those preparing to become nurses, who continue to demonstrate compassion to those in need, to colleagues and to themselves.

To my colleagues, I say, seek support when someone behaves badly, because you are the nurses we want for today.

Barry Quinn is a senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast School of Nursing and Midwifery