Harassment and Bullying A Sepsis in Healthcare

1
Harassment Bullying A Sepsis in Healthcare
Susan Strauss, RN, Ed.D. Harassment Bullying
Consultant
2
  Susan Strauss RN Ed.D   Susan has worked as a
registered nurse (RN) in the operating room,
pediatrics, medical-surgical, OB/GYN, psychiatry,
and public health. She has been the director of
healthcare quality improvement, director of
education and development, and held other
healthcare leadership roles. One of her specialty
areas is bullying and harassment in healthcare-
working as an expert witness for lawsuits,
training, and conducting investigations. She
researched physician abuse to RNs in the OR to
determine if the abuse varied based on the gender
of the nurse.   Dr. Strauss has authored over 30
books, book chapters, and articles. Susan has
been featured on 20/20, CBS Evening News, and
other national and international television and
radio programs as well as interviewed for
newspaper and journal articles such as the Times
of London, Lawyers Weekly, and Harvard Education
Newsletter.   Susan has presented at
international conferences in Botswana, Egypt,
Thailand, Israel, Bali, Lebanon, and the U.S. She
conducted sex discrimination research in Poland.
Susan consulted with professionals from other
countries such as Israel, England, Australia,
Canada and St. Maartin, Lebanon, and Indonesia.
In addition to her RN, Susan has a masters
degree in community health science, and holds a
doctorate in organizational leadership.   Susan
Strauss RN Ed.D. Strauss Consulting 952.937.1991  
www.straussconsulting.net susan_at_straussconsultin
g.net
3
bjectives

• To discuss sexual and other protected class
  harassment as it relates to federal and state
  laws
• To examine new healthcare discrimination
  harassment court decisions
• To demonstrate the nexus between bullying and
  harassment
• To explore the causes and contributing factors of
  harassment within the healthcare environment
• To identify the impact of harassment on the
  victim, the work unit, the organization, and the
  patient
• To list the proper procedure to follow if one is
  harassed or bullied
• To reference JCAHOs Sentinel Event Alerts on
  Behaviors that Undermine a Culture of Safety and
  Preventing Violence in the Healthcare Setting as
  they relate to harassment, bullying, and a
  healthy practice environment
• To identify managements role and responsibility
  in the prevention and intervention of harassment
  and bullying
• To clarify process improvement, risk management,
  and hospital culture as integral to the
  hospital-wide prevention and intervention strategy

4
Federal State Laws
Title VII
ADA
ADEA
Title IX
States Civil Rights Acts
LGBTQI
Pregnancy Discrimination Act
GINA
5
Behaviors Which May Constitute Harassment

1. Referring to an adult as a girl, boy, hunk,
   doll, babe, honey, or bitch.
2. Racial/Ethnic slurs and name-calling.
3. Whistling or cat calls.
4. Touching, patting, pinching, stroking, tickling,
   brushing up against a person.
5. Sexual comments or innuendoes.
6. Jokes or stories about sex or males and females.,
   race, religion etc.
7. Asking about sexual fantasies, preferences, or
   sexual experiences.
8. Personal questions about ones social, sexual or
   religious life.
9. Sexual, racial, religious, etc., comments about a
   persons clothing, anatomy, or looks.
10. Repeatedly asking someone out who is not
    interested.
11. Telling lies or spreading rumors about a persons
    personal sex life, gender identity, religion,
    age, etc.
12. Direct or indirect bribes or threats for unwanted
    sex.
13. Staring, leering, or ogling.
14. Blocking / following / cornering due to ones
    gender, race, religion, etc.
15. Stalking due to race, religion, gender, etc.
16. Graffiti regarding ones race, religion, gender,
    etc.
17. Giving gifts of a personal nature.
18. Displaying sexually, racially, etc., offensive
    pictures, posters, T-shirts, cartoons, etc.
19. Making facial expressions such as winking,
    throwing kisses, or licking lips.

6
Healthcare Damages
7
Definition of Bullying
Bullying is persistent, repeated, malicious,
offensive, and intimidating behavior which
humiliates, degrades and displays a lack of
dignity and respect for the target resulting in
them feeling vulnerable and threatened.
8
Causes Contributing Factors of Bullying

• Power imbalance
• Processes and structures
• Change
• Informal alliances
• Competition
• Reward Systems
• Role conflict or ambiguity
• Tolerance reward for misconduct
• Low satisfaction with management
• Psychological theories

9
Bullying Examples
10
JCAHO Examples

• Reluctance/refusal to answer questions, return
  calls, respond to pages
• Physical threats
• Verbal outbursts
• Impatience with questions
• Refusing performance of assigned tasks
• Uncooperative attitudes during outing activities
• Condescending language or voice intonation

11
Most Physician Abuse Occurs in
Rosentein, A., Russel, H. Lauve, R. (2002,
November/December). Disruptive physician behavior
contributes to nursing shortage. The Physician
Executive. 8-11
12
What To Do If It Happens To You

• Document, document, document

• Stop

• Report

• Follow Policy

13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
What Should Management Do?

• PREVENTbullying harassment from occurring
• STOPbullying harassment when it occurs
• KEEPbullying and harassment from recurring
• DONT TOLERATE
  reprisals

16
REGISTER NOW