Members of the 2012 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellows program have developed a free toolkit to help stop and prevent bullying in the operating room among perioperative team members.
"We do not believe managers and leaders fail to address or correct bullying in their workplace because they choose to. Rather, we believe they are not properly equipped to address bullying and incivility when it occurs," Ric Cuming, EdD, RN, chief nurse executive at Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia and one of the fellows, told OR Exec.
The Civility Toolkit includes a variety of resources aimed to "empower healthcare leaders to identify, intervene and prevent workplace bullying." It is broken down into four main areas of focus:
1. Truth. This involves coming to terms with the fact that bullying exists in the environment and assessing the situation. "You need to ask yourself, 'What is happening in my particular perioperative services department?'" Dr. Cuming told OR Exec.
The toolkit provides different assessments and checklists about the organization, environment and staff to help leaders get the truth about bullying in the organization.
2. Wisdom. The kit includes tools for leaders to gain knowledge and information about bulling and various anti-bullying policies organizations can use. "You need the facts about bullying, and you need to establish a framework to make changes," Debbie Wilson, RN, another fellow and vice president and CNO of Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., told OR Exec.
3. Courage. For this area, the toolkit includes tools and advice for how nurses and others can confront bullying and make change. For example, the kit includes information on how to start difficult conversations and about the language of collaboration.
4. Renewal. This area includes tools and resources to support healing in the organization after bullying has been addressed, such as stress management and employee assistance programs.