Horizontal violence is a specific type of bullying that occurs between colleagues. It is often reported in the nursing profession and is linked to the common belief that, “nurses eat their young” (ANA, 2011). In a study conducted by the Institution of Safe Medication Practices, 48 percent of nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare workers reported receiving strong verbal abuse from a co-worker or an authority figure (ISMP, 2004). Another survey conducted at an Australian college found that 57% of nursing students had experienced or witnessed horizontal violence in the clinical setting (Curtis, Bowen, & Reid, 2007). Similarly, one study in Florida asked senior baccalaureate nursing students about the statement “nurses eat their young” and 66% of the respondents had heard this statement before, with 72% of the participants believing that the statement was true (Longo, 2007). The purpose of the study is to examine horizontal violence experiences of undergraduate nursing students during clinical hours in northeast Texas.
Methodology
This study was derived from a Nursing 2011 journal pilot survey, the Nursing Horizontal Violence Survey, conducted by Dumont, Riggleman, Meisinger, and Leon (2011). Permission to reuse the survey was granted.The survey asks about experiencing and/or witnessing horizontal violence and the frequency of these incidents. Age, gender, race/ethnicity, and nursing work experience were collected as demographic data. The survey was sent out via email to all current undergraduate nursing students at a university in Northeast Texas.
Findings
Of the 65 students, 55 students responded to the survey. Students were 78% female, 85% between the ages of 20 and 30, and over 67% were Caucasian. The majority did not have previous nursing work experiences. Over 50% of the students reported that they experienced or witnessed horizontal violence at least once in the clinical setting.
Implications for Nursing
The findings suggest that horizontal violence remains a problem between nurses and nursing students affecting the learning experience. More research needs to be completed on the hospital locations where the violence occurs, type of horizontal violence and the frequency in order to improve communication, teamwork, and workplace safety for students.
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