An exploration of bullying behaviours in nursing: a review of the literature

In the UK professional standards that nurses and midwives must uphold are set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). These standards are detailed in The Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives (NMC, 2015), which contains a section on working cooperatively, stating that nurses should respect both the expertise and contributions of colleagues, maintain effective communication, keep them informed when sharing the care of patients and be supportive of colleagues who may be experiencing health- or performance-related problems. Following the results of a survey showing bullying behaviours were experienced by 10% of staff in the NHS, guidance was issued to employers in 2006 that all NHS organisations should have bullying and harassment policies in place (NHS Confederation, 2006).

Incidence of bullying 

Workplace bullying has been recognised as a serious issue affecting nurses (Murray, 2009; Roberts et al, 2009; Rodwell and Demir, 2012).

A study in the UK