Impact
Inappropriate behaviour can compromise patient care and contribute to adverse outcomes.7
Workplace bullying contributes to poor employee/student health including the physical and psychological manifestations of stress and depression.8 There is an increased risk of error by medical staff in this environment; if others avoid health professionals who exhibit this behaviour, it in turn makes effective communication and patient care difficult. A survey of a funded counselling service for doctors in New Zealand found bullying was one of the specific events that led to doctors utilising the service.9
Workplace bullying may affect medical students, RMOs, senior specialists and other health professionals. Workplace bullying and harassment may impact on the training and education of medical students and doctors. It creates a poor learning environment due to the continued erosion of confidence, skills and initiative of the student/doctor, thereby creating a negative attitude towards their chosen specialty.10 This unprofessional behaviour may subsequently be learnt and displayed by students in their careers.
The combination of RMO workloads and training hours make RMOs particularly vulnerable to stress and associated ill-health issues.11 These factors combined with social, geographical and professional isolation can make RMOs more susceptible to the effects of bullying.
Cost
The costs of workplace bullying can be direct and indirect in nature. Direct costs include absenteeism, greater staff turnover, and higher rates and cost of illness, accidents and disability. Indirect costs include diminishing staff performance/productivity, reduced staff morale and reduced quality of patient care. Resources are also taken in further recruitment.
Factors behind workplace bullying
Such behaviour can be the result of many factors including personality or communication skills, health or domestic matters, and work matters. It is important that if there are any concerns regarding the individual’s health that appropriate measures are taken to address those concerns.
References
7 Medical Council of New Zealand. Unprofessional behaviour and the health care team. Protecting patient safety. August 2009
8 Olsen H, Needham A. Workplace bullying-an overview. 2003. [accessed 2 Jan 2010]
9 Cunningham W, Cookson T. Addressing stress related impairment in doctors. A survey of providers’ and doctors’ experience of a funded counseling service in New Zealand. NZMA 2009 Aug 7; 122 (1300): 19-28
10 AMA Survey report on Junior Doctor health and wellbeing. Australian Medical Association (2008): 9
11 Di Martino V (2003) Workplace violence in the health sector: relationship between work stress and workplace violence in the health sector. Geneva: ILO