A lateral violence situation
Discussion 1
Assume you are a charge nurse and you witnessed lateral violence during your clinical work day. Give an example of what a lateral violence situation would look like.
How do you believe you would feel?
What do you think caused the incident?
What do you do to handle this matter?
Submission Instructions:
Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8 points.
You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts. Your reply posts are worth 2 points (1 point per response.)
All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.
Please post your initial response by 11:59 PM ET Thursday, and comment on the posts of two classmates by 11:59 PM ET Sunday.
You can expect feedback from the instructor within 48 to 72 hours from the Sunday due date.
Sample Solution
Lateral Violence: A Silent Threat to Healthcare
Scenario:
A seasoned nurse, visibly frustrated, loudly criticizes a new nurse's medication administration technique in front of patients and colleagues. The criticism is harsh, dismissive, and delivered in a condescending tone. The new nurse, visibly shaken, retreats to the medication room, visibly upset.
Emotional Response:
As a charge nurse, I would likely feel a mix of emotions:
- Anger: Witnessing such unprofessional behavior can be infuriating.
- Frustration: Knowing the negative impact such behavior can have on both the new nurse and the overall team.
- Empathy: Understanding the emotional distress experienced by the new nurse.
- Concern: Worrying about the potential consequences of lateral violence, such as decreased job satisfaction, increased turnover, and compromised patient safety.
Potential Causes:
Several factors might contribute to such a situation:
- Stress and Burnout: High workload, inadequate staffing, and long hours can lead to increased stress and irritability.
- Poor Communication Skills: Ineffective communication can escalate conflicts and lead to misunderstandings.
- Power Dynamics: A power imbalance between nurses can create a toxic work environment.
- Lack of Leadership: Weak leadership can fail to address and prevent lateral violence.
- Organizational Culture: A culture that tolerates or even encourages bullying can perpetuate lateral violence.
Full Answer Section
Handling the Situation:
To address this incident, I would take the following steps:
- Intervene Immediately: Interrupt the situation and remove the parties involved from the immediate area.
- Speak Privately with the Involved Nurses: Have separate, private conversations with both nurses to express concerns and offer support.
- Acknowledge the New Nurse's Feelings: Validate the new nurse's feelings and reassure them that their concerns are legitimate.
- Address the Behavior of the Seasoned Nurse: Clearly communicate that the behavior is unacceptable and outline the consequences of future incidents.
- Implement Strategies to Prevent Future Incidents:
- Promote a Positive Work Environment: Foster a culture of respect, empathy, and teamwork.
- Provide Training: Offer training on effective communication, conflict resolution, and stress management.
- Establish Reporting Mechanisms: Create a safe and confidential system for reporting incidents of lateral violence.
- Enforce Consequences: Consistently enforce consequences for individuals who engage in lateral violence.
- Monitor the Situation: Continue to monitor the situation and intervene as needed.
By taking decisive action and promoting a positive work environment, charge nurses can help to prevent and address lateral violence, ultimately improving patient care and staff satisfaction.
References:
- American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. American Nurses Association.
- Institute of Medicine. (2004). Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses. National Academies Press.