When it comes to the worst cases of nurse bullying, emergency medical services personnel — and not other nurses — are often the victims, Cameron Hershey, BSN, RN, a critical care transport nurse in California, wrote in an op-ed for Nurse.org.
Mr. Hershey said he witnesses "a large lack of understanding and growing disrespect" between nurses and EMS workers such as EMTs and paramedics on a daily basis.
"In my experience, there is an odd presumption that those who are prehospital are somehow 'beneath' those that work within the hospital. That some unwritten hierarchy exists and as such, those who are performing care in the field are not as knowledgeable, have less education, care less for their patients and don't work as hard," he wrote. "I'm here to tell you that is far from correct, it's disgusting, and it needs to stop."
Mr. Hershey said he believes all emergency room, intensive care unit and critical care nurses should be required to complete "clinicals" with prehospital personnel to better understand their roles and the demands placed on them.
"These crews have fewer resources, less time and less support than you could ever work with, and often they not only stabilize your patient so you can care for them, but they maintain [sic] cordial even when you are not," he wrote. "It's time to respect our EMS crews, stop the bullying, and realize they do what many of you couldn't. We are all working towards the same goal of saving lives, and we're all in this together."