Bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment among intensive care unit nurses in Australia and New Zealand: An online survey. 2023

Rachael Parke, and Samantha Bates, and Melissa Carey, and Alana Cavadino, and Adele Ferguson, and Naomi Hammond, and Fiona Joyce, and Steve Kirby, and Tess Moeke-Maxwell, and Francis Nona, and Kathleen Mason
School of Nursing, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Cardiothoracic and Vascular Intensive Care Unit, Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: rparke@adhb.govt.nz.

Bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment are significant problems within healthcare organisations but are often under-reported. Consequences of these behaviours within a healthcare setting are wide ranging, affecting workplace environments, personal well-being, and patient careĀ and leading to increased staff turnover and quality of patient care and outcomes. Whilst there has been some work undertaken in the general nursing workforce, there is a dearth of evidence regarding the extent and impact of these behaviours on the nursing workforce in intensive care units (ICUs) in Australia and New Zealand. We aimed to determine self-reported occurrences of bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment amongst ICU nurses in Australia and New Zealand. A prospective, cross-sectional, online survey of ICU nurses in Australia and New Zealand was undertaken in May-June 2021, distributed through formal colleges, societies, and social media. Questions included demographics and three separate sections addressing bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination. In 679 survey responses, the overall reported occurrences of bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment in the last 12 months were 57.1%, 32.6%, and 1.9%, respectively. Perpetrators of bullying were predominantly nurses (59.6%, with 57.9% being ICU nurses); perpetrators of discrimination were nurses (51.7%, with 49.3% being ICU nurses); and perpetrators of sexual harassment were patients (34.6%). Respondents most commonly (66%) did not report these behaviours as they did not feel confident that the issue would be resolved or addressed. Determining the true extent of bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment behaviours within the ICU nursing community in Australia and New Zealand is difficult; however, it is clear a problem exists. These behaviours require recognition, reporting, and an effective resolution, rather than normalisation within healthcare professions and workplace settings in order to support and retain ICU nursing staff.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007362 Intensive Care Units Hospital units providing continuous surveillance and care to acutely ill patients. ICU Intensive Care Units,Intensive Care Unit,Unit, Intensive Care
D009520 New Zealand A group of islands in the southwest Pacific. Its capital is Wellington. It was discovered by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642 and circumnavigated by Cook in 1769. Colonized in 1840 by the New Zealand Company, it became a British crown colony in 1840 until 1907 when colonial status was terminated. New Zealand is a partly anglicized form of the original Dutch name Nieuw Zeeland, new sea land, possibly with reference to the Dutch province of Zeeland. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p842 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p378)
D011446 Prospective Studies Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group. Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D003430 Cross-Sectional Studies Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time. Disease Frequency Surveys,Prevalence Studies,Analysis, Cross-Sectional,Cross Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Survey,Surveys, Disease Frequency,Analyses, Cross Sectional,Analyses, Cross-Sectional,Analysis, Cross Sectional,Cross Sectional Analyses,Cross Sectional Studies,Cross Sectional Survey,Cross-Sectional Analyses,Cross-Sectional Analysis,Cross-Sectional Study,Cross-Sectional Surveys,Disease Frequency Survey,Prevalence Study,Studies, Cross-Sectional,Studies, Prevalence,Study, Cross-Sectional,Study, Prevalence,Survey, Cross-Sectional,Survey, Disease Frequency,Surveys, Cross-Sectional
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001315 Australia The smallest continent and an independent country, comprising six states and two territories. Its capital is Canberra. Canton and Enderbury Islands,Christmas Island,Christmas Island (Australia)
D017406 Sexual Harassment A form of discrimination in the workplace which violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Offensive sexual conduct may include unwelcome advances, comments, touching, questions about marital status and sex practices, etc. Both men and women may be aggressors or victims. (Slee and Slee, Health Care Terms, 2d ed, p.404). While civil rights legislation deals with sexual harassment in the workplace, the behavior is not restricted to this; it may take place outside the work environment: in schools, athletics, and other social milieus and activities. Harassment, Sexual,Sexual Harrassment,Harassments, Sexual,Harrassment, Sexual,Harrassments, Sexual,Sexual Harassments,Sexual Harrassments
D058445 Bullying Aggressive behavior by a more powerful party that results in physical harm to or emotional distress of the victim.

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