Reflection: Horizontal Bullying

Introduction

In this reflection, I am going to use the Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle to describe an interaction I had with a co-worker when I was working at a private outpatient clinic. I had a challenging interaction which I would classify as horizontal bullying. Horizontal bullying refers to a demand by a nurse towards a co-worker, causing her to feel disregarded and denied of her basic human rights (Granstra, 2015). This reflection shows how horizontal bullying would affect the patient safety (Purpora & Blegen, 2012).

Description

I was running a high fever related to a severe case of an upper respiratory chest infection (URTI). I told my colleagues that I would have to take a sick leave after lunch as I was having double vision. Most of

However, it may not be professionally acceptable if we were to perform duty when we are sick. Adele may not have understood that staff safety is a prerequisite to patient safety (Sinnott & Shaban, 2011). Moreover, according to Singapore Nursing Board (2011), we should only deliver care within our ability. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2008) also states that we should have a culture of safety in healthcare and we should avoid situations where our ability to deliver quality care is impaired. On top of this, we could conscientiously object to participating in a procedure when we are unable to carry out (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia,

Understanding how human factors affect patient safety, is relevant as it can help us be more aware of the prerequisites of clinical errors and minimise them (Hinshaw, 2016).

The autonomy to take sick leave when one is sick, is vital in the prevention of adverse events. To attain quality care and patient safety, it is vital for us to have mutual respect for one another. This provides a safe and satisfying workplace. A good team-work involves the ability to adapt to changes when a co-worker needs to take sick leave (Singapore General Hospital, 2014).

Poor leadership can be toxic to the nursing team and patient safety. Adele’s leadership is based on transactional model and its emphasis is on control, task, autocratic and authoritarian approaches. (Levett-Jones, 2014). Detrimental leadership is highly associated with latent failures, which could result in a poor patient outcome (Agnew, Flin, & Reid, 2012). A leader should move from being a transactional leader to a transformational leader, one who empowers team members and works towards offering job satisfaction and a sense of autonomy (Fischer, 2016). To enhance patient safety, the clinic would need to have a transformational leaders. In the study of Merrill (2015), transformational leadership style has