It almost goes without saying that workplace violence inhibits workplaces from functioning

It almost goes without saying that workplace violence inhibits workplaces from functioning in a vital, productive and ethical way. Workplace bullying is a negative workplace fact which includes a trend of inappropriately hostile behavior that is directed to one particular person or a group of persons. It is carried out by one or more coworkers. Workplace bullying is different from everyday conflicts in the sense that negative workplace behaviors occur repeatedly over a period of time rather than just being a onetime conflict. Introduction – Overview of Decision ProblemProblem StatementNursing is a stressful field even when effective teamwork and interdisciplinary communication is in place. Bullying behaviors may be difficult to spot at the beginning. However, bullying in healthcare is an increasingly prevalent issue. Workplace bullying is a serious problem affecting the nursing profession. It can be defined as any kind of recurring abuse in which the victim of the bullying behavior suffers verbal abuse, threats, humiliating or intimidating behaviors (Center for American Nurses, 2007). Bullying can also be through task assignment or exclusion to erode professional competence and reputation. Bullying behaviors generate feelings of defenselessness on the victim and significantly demoralize one dignity and self-esteem (Longo & Sherman, 2007). There are several reasons why nurses may bully others. The main reason, however, is exclusively the need for the bully to be in control of all aspects of the work environment (Murray, 2007). Bullying involves an imbalance of power which can be social and informal. Addressing workplace harassment and bullying in the nursing profession is long overdue. Nurses should be provided with a safe working environment free from bullying. Health care organizations should adopt a zero-tolerance policy and offer ongoing educational programs that aid nurses to recognize signs and symptoms of bullying in the workplace settings and ways to stop any such behavior.Objectives• Identify the behaviors that indicate workplace violence/bullying• Increase professional awareness and knowledge and develop the skills needed to create safe workplaces.• Eliminate workplace violence/bullying.Bullying has a lot of negative impact on the healthcare system as a whole. Workplace violence/bullying have negative effects on the nurses, patients and the organization as a whole. Some of the impacts include;Target:The targeted subject(s) suffer from loss of confidence and self-esteem, extreme stress, loss of productivity, isolation, resignation, and extreme cases suicide.Organization:The organization suffers from negative publicity, high turnover, disgruntled employees, poor quality of care, costs associated with recruitment and training of new staff, and workers compensation claims. The patients also are caught in the crossfire of workplace bullying. The toxic work environment leads to a breakdown in communication, teamwork, collaboration, and leadership. Safety and quality of care are compromised which can lead to adverse patient outcomes and poor patient satisfaction scores. The poor outcome can also lead to decreased financial reimbursement. Eliminating workplace bullying is an ideal scenario for every employer. A safe workplace can lead to an improved healthcare system. The quality of care and safety of patients can be ensured with good teamwork and interdisciplinary communication. Organizations will be able to retain nurses and save costs involved in recruitment. However, to get to the point where the goal has been achieved, healthcare organizations will have to invest in education and brace themselves to lose some of the nurses who are not on board with changing the culture and embracing the zero tolerance of bullying in the workplace.