Workplace Bullying in Healthcare Professions

Workplace violence presents a substantial and increasing risk to employee health and wellbeing. In particular, healthcare professionals are at heightened risk of workplace bullying, also commonly known as mobbing, aggression, emotional abuse, lateral violence, horizontal violence, undermining and incivility etc. It is therefore often argued that bullying has become ‘endemic’ within healthcare. The physical and psychological consequences of workplace bullying include sleeping disorders, substance use, stress, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, workplace bullying impacts on the delivery of high quality patient centred care and the wellbeing of those witnessing the bullying behavior. The current article highlights the prevalence of workplace bullying experienced by healthcare professionals and the consequences of this exposure. The organizational (e.g. job insecurity) and individual (e.g. personality) factors contributing to workplace bullying are also discussed.