It has been said that "nurses eat their young."1 Although this phrase may seem particularly harsh, nurse-to-nurse hostility does exist to the detriment of our profession.

Lateral violence and bullying have been documented extensively among the interactions between healthcare professionals in the workplace.

Bullying is an "offensive abusive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, or abuse of power conducted by an individual or group against others, which makes the recipient feel upset, threatened, humiliated or vulnerable, which undermines their self-confidence and which may cause them to suffer stress."2 Bullying is behavior that is generally persistent, systematic, and ongoing.2Lateral violence is a term describing physical, verbal, or emotional abuse of an employee. Common forms of lateral violence include nonverbal innuendo, verbal affront, undermining activities, withholding information, sabotage, infighting, scapegoating, and backstabbing.

Bullying and lateral violence have serious negative consequences for nurses, their patients, and healthcare employers. Disruptive behaviors are toxic not only to the nursing profession but also to the institution in which they occur. High staff turnover, sickness absence, impaired performance, lower productivity, poor team spirit, and increasing litigation are among the outcomes of workplace bullying.3 Furthermore, intimidating and disruptive behaviors can compromise safety.4

The Center for American Nurses has issued a position statement entitled "Lateral Violence and Bullying in the Workplace."2 The center maintains that there is no place in a professional practice environment for lateral violence and bullying among nurses or between healthcare professionals. All healthcare organizations should implement a zero tolerance policy related to disruptive behavior, including a professional code of conduct and educational and behavioral interventions to assist nurses in addressing disruptive behavior.

The center's guide has been developed for nurses in all practice settings where bullying may be witnessed or experienced. It offers evidence-based and best practice solutions to eliminate the disruptive behaviors of lateral violence and bullying and move from a culture of hostility to a culture of mutual respect.2

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