workforce
workforce
continues to flourish in the nursing profession in Australia and what we can learn from nurses themselves about ways to stop it.
How will you be unpacking that? I really want to hear from nurses about their experience, and most importantly, I want to hear from nurses what they think needs to be done. Until we are willing to name what we’ ve all experienced, nothing will change. I believe the vast majority of nurses are caring. However, the evidence suggests that workplace bullying is so culturally integrated into the environment it is likely that it has become a learned activity.
What are some of the particular insights that you are hoping to gather? As mentioned earlier, bullying is subjective, so we want to gain a better understanding of what constitutes bullying in nursing. We want to better understand how nurses experience bullying and then provide a clearer definition.
Research from the nurses’ perspective will assist nurse leaders, educators and policymakers to better understand bullying in the Australian healthcare workforce and thus inform strategies to address the problem.
I believe it can be done. We have the privilege of creating a healing environment for our patients and the people that we care for, so I know we can do the same for ourselves.
You mentioned that the findings might inform nurse leaders. How else might the findings be used to tackle bullying? Once we have a clearer picture of bullying in nursing, this can be used to inform policy. There are policies in place to address bullying that have been around for quite some time. Despite this, the incidence of bullying is increasing. We then have to ask the question, if these policies are in place, why does bullying continue? It is also important that the focus is not on individual acts. Bullying needs to be recognised as an organisational issue.
What impact might bullying have on nurses and workplace culture more broadly? Why is it so important that action is taken to eliminate this issue? If bullying continues, the impact will impede the professional growth and impact on staff retention. Also, bullying compromises patient safety. The acceptance of a culture of bullying must first be recognised and challenged before any strategy can be implemented successfully.
Nurses who were bullied as students have the ability to decide if they will continue the pattern of bullying or break the cycle. Bullying must be prevented to ensure the best possible outcomes for the nursing profession and, more importantly the patients for whom we provide care. It is likely too that addressing the problem will reduce problems of attrition in the nursing workforce. ■
Four Steps to Building Dementia Practice in Primary Care
Free online learning. Promoting an evidence-based approach to dementia detection, diagnosis and support in a primary care setting.
Modules
• Step 1: Building dementia knowledge
• Step 2: Building a process towards dementia diagnosis
• Step 3: Building an approach to dementia support
• Step 4: Building sustainable dementia practice
www. apna. asn. au / onlinelearning admin @ apna. asn. au | 1300 303 184
The Supporting GPs and Practice Nurses in the Timely Diagnosis of Dementia Project is funded by the Australian Government. It is delivered by a partnership between Alzheimer’ s Australia, the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association, Alzheimer’ s Australia Victoria, Dementia Training Study Centres, and the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute.
How to access the education?
It’ s easy! Follow the simple steps below and if you get stuck APNA is just a phone call or email away. 1. Open up Google Chrome as your web browser( please note – Internet Explorer is not compatible for these online modules) 2. Head to www. apna. asn. au / onlinelearning 3. Under‘ Courses Available Online’ click‘ View Courses’
Existing APNA Users
4. Under‘ Existing APNA Users’ click‘ Login Now’ 5. Enter in your username and password( call APNA if you have forgotten these details)
6. On the left hand side of the page click on‘ Clinical Education’ and scroll down the page until you find all four Building Dementia Practice in Primary Care module 7. Click‘ Buy’ on all four modules 8. Once all four modules are in your Shopping Cart( at the top of your page) click on‘ Proceed to Checkout’
9. The transaction should be complete and you can access the education by clicking on‘ My Training’ at the top of the page
UP TO
Free Bag & Diary!
4 CPD
HOURS
New APNA Users
4. Under‘ New Users’ click‘ Start Shopping’ 5. On the left hand side of the page click on
‘ Clinical Education’ 6. Scroll down the page until you find all four Building
Dementia Practice in Primary Care modules 7. Click‘ Buy’ on all four modules 8. Once all four modules are in your Shopping Cart( at the top of your page) click on‘ Proceed to Checkout’ 9. You will then be asked to register your account, please complete the fields required and then click on‘ Next Step’
10. The transaction should be complete after this step and you can access the education by clicking on‘ My Training’ at the top of the page
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