A qualitative systematic review on nurses’ experiences of workplace bullying and implications for nursing practice

Abstract

Aims To explore nurses’ experiences of workplace bullying and ways to prevent such occurrences. Design A qualitative systematic review was conducted. Data sources Five electronic databases were searched from each database's inception to December 2020. Review methods Meta-summary and meta-synthesis were conducted using Sandelowski and Barroso's approach. Results Twenty-seven studies were included in this review. The overarching theme, ‘The Vicious Cycle of Bullying in Nursing’, and four themes were synthesized: (a) different ‘faces’ of bullying, (b) the hidden drivers of bullying, (c) impact of being bullied and (d) responses to bullying. Conclusion The nursing code of ethics and anti-bullying policies should be consistently enforced by each organization's upper management. Nurses should be provided a safe space to voice their concerns on bullying within the organization.