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The Secret of Gritflowness - October 2020 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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that takes place vertically, between leaders in power and staff members without it. For instance, an OR manager bullying their subordinates. This is an obvious problem for a number of reasons — not the least of which is a decrease in the quality of patient care. After all, even if someone is an excep- tional clinical leader, their staff likely won't dare to ask questions or speak up for the good of the patient if they fear there will be retribution for doing so. However, peer-to-peer bullying — often referred to as lateral or horizontal violence — is just as prevalent, particularly among nurses. We've all heard the expression "nurses eat their young." You must be extra vigilant to prevent this type of bully- ing among your staff. Zero tolerance Preventing bullying at your facility boils down to culture. You have to believe — and your staff has to believe — in a code of civility and professionalism, and you must establish a zero-tolerance policy for those who fail to meet those standards. There are entire textbooks dedicated to creating this type of culture, so there's no way to discuss everything we need to in a single article, but here are a few tips to start with: • Ask for feedback. Involve frontline staff in cre- ating an anti-bullying and workplace civility policy. They are too often victims of bullying and have powerful insights on how to prevent it. • Inform and educate. Include bullying as a topic for your regular educational training and in-service sessions. Have staff role-play bullying scenarios and provide them lessons on how to handle difficult O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T • 1 7 Interested in learning more about how to keep bullying out of your facility? Andrea Dyer, MSN, RN, CNOR, will present "Team Up to Improve Your Workplace Culture and Grow Together" with Vangie Dennis, MSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, and Lee Ann Liska, FACHE, at this year's virtual OR Excellence. During what's sure to be a lively and engaging workshop, the trio of respected healthcare leaders will share their strategies for creating a cohesive and resilient team filled with providers who don't tol- erate bullying in their ORs. Registration is free to Outpatient Surgery subscribers: orexcellence.com. conversations to teach them how to establish and maintain a culture of workplace civility. Ultimately, your best weapon against bullying is a staff that isn't afraid to speak up when they need to. Granted, this is no small feat. Ensure every member of your team — no matter their role or position — feels empowered to say something if they experience or witness bullying behavior. If you consistently encourage your team to speak up against anything they see as a detriment to patient care and have their backs when they do, you'll be amazed at how empowered they will become — and how little tolerance they'll have for bullying in any of its many forms. There are various ways in which your staff can report bullying up the chain of command. They should first report incidents to their immediate supervisor. If staff feel reporting to management isn't addressing the issue, they should contact human resources (in larger facilities or health sys- tems that have a department). As a last resort, they can contact the state board of nursing to report their concerns. Reporting up the chain of command is crucial in holding your workplace accountable, but their con- cerns should be addressed long before they reach upper management. Listen to your staff about bully- ing behavior and act immediately to ensure they feel comfortable and safe while at work. Their well- being — and the safety of your patients — depends on it. OSM Ms. Dyer (andreamdyer7@gmail.com) is a traveling surgical nurse at Boston (Mass.) Children's Hospital and president-elect of the AORN Maine Chapter. Cultivating a Culture of Trust

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