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Healthcare worker reports of bullying, verbal abuse and other “bad behaviors” from patients, family members and coworkers have doubled since 2018, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. Surveyed healthcare professionals reported that being frequently harassed leads to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout and may affect patient safety.
The same CDC report also identified that overall, 44.2% of healthcare workers said they were somewhat likely or very likely to look for a new job in 2022. In contrast, the report revealed that turnover declined among all other workers during this period. At a time of increasing shortages of healthcare professionals and physicians, losing any one of them to burnout caused by bad behavior should spur organizations to stop tolerating any level of harassment and unacceptable conduct in healthcare settings.
There are many opinions on the causes of bad behavior on the frontlines, including in clinics, hospitals and senior living organizations. According to a report in Harvard Business Review, the pandemic, the economy, wars, divisive politics and the changing nature of work all may be contributing to displays of verbal and physical harassment. Christine Porath, a professor of management at Georgetown University and researcher on incivility, surveyed over 2,000 people in more than 25 industries across the world looking at incivility trends and seeking to gain insight into what’s happening on the front lines of business and society today. Her findings show that 78% of respondents witness incivility at work at least once a month, and 70% witness it at least two to three times a month, up from 61% in 2012. Seventy eight percent of respondents also believe that bad behavior from customers toward employees is more common than it was five years ago. Research1,2 also shows that instances of negative behaviors—like rudeness—can be contagious.
The negative impacts of tolerance of bad patient or family behavior on the workforce and patient safety include:
• Burnout, low morale, turnover, staffing shortages, recruiting difficulties, workers compensation claims
• Poor outcomes, errors3 and malpractice claims
• Distrust in healthcare providers and the system
Watch our recent webinar, Recognizing and Defusing Aggressive Behavior Before Violence Erupts, to learn more about ways to reduce and address aggressive behavior at your healthcare organization before violence ensues.
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Resources
A review of our anesthesia malpractice claims reveals that most claims are related to improper patient management and involve technical skill issues, including known procedural risks. Learn strategies that can help reduce anesthesia-related harm.
Healthcare worker reports of bullying, verbal abuse and other “bad behaviors” from patients, families and coworkers have doubled since 2018. Learn how to protect your team.
Learn how to reduce malpractice risk in maternity care deserts—where there’s a higher risk for poor maternal and infant health outcomes.