Corrections_Today_Spring_2025_Vol.87_No.1

COMMITTEES

Are correctional nurses bullies? ACA Nursing Committee By Teresa I Royer, MSN, RN, CCN/M

environment, nurses may have an even greater learning curve. Even with onboarding procedures, this makes the ground ripe for bullies to exert their power over a nurse who is new to the position. No one expects to be bullied at work. As a professional, one expects others in the workplace to act in a professional manner. Bullying can happen to new employees or to em ployees who have experience. When it happens, especially with someone you have worked with for months or years, the thought is it will pass and get better. When it goes on and on, and does not get better, it can feel devastating. Research shows new nurses tend to be targeted more than experi enced nurses as they haven’t proven their skills, and/or established them selves into the workplace culture and social structure (Edmonson, 2019). Edmonson (2019) also noted that 60% of nurses leave their first position due to negative interactions with their co-workers. Studies have shown nearly half of nurses have been bullied and considered leaving the profession because of it (Drop stat.com). In addition, over 20% of the nurses who reportedly were bullied, left their positions due to the bullying.

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B ullies can be found in nursing is no exception. Nursing in general is known to be a high risk occupation for bullying. Add to that, nursing in corrections is different than it is in the commu nity. A phrase that has been thrown around in the nursing field for years is, “Nurses eat their young.” Sadly, I have seen this during my nursing career. Nurses who are new to the profession or new to the facility may have a difficult time nearly every occupation and workplace. Correctional

assimilating into the correctional culture. During the transition, the staff that are already considered sea soned, will either embrace the newer staff or decide they are too busy to train the newbies. Nurses, like others in different professions, specialize in the areas they are used to working. They know the skills of what they regular ly do, but when changing to another area, the culture and specific skill set for that new area may need to be learned or reviewed. When add ing this to the rigid correctional

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