Describe strategies to deal with
horizontal violence.
Horizontal violence is alive and present and can certainly be a deterrent for many students when they choose a facility to work at or even encouragement to pursue the profession of nursing.
The most interesting finding of this research is the factor of
horizontal violence which had never before been raised.
Have you come across '
horizontal violence?' [Participant 4, team leader]
Horizontal violence: Experiences of Registered Nurses in their first year of practice.
These sources were searched using the keywords nurses, and violence, aggression, abuse, assault,
horizontal violence, bullying, harassment, and hospital, workplace, and general wards.
Finally, the authors of "The Prevalence of
Horizontal Violence in New York State Registered Nurses" discuss the findings of a survey of nurses' knowledge of
horizontal violence (HV) that was made possible through the cooperative efforts of the New York Organization of Nurse Executives' Research Council, NYSNA, the Foundation of New York State Nurses, and the six regional research alliances.
It is unfortunate that many nurses have likely witnessed or experienced first-hand the scapegoating, backstabbing, infighting, and other disrespectful and aggressive behaviors, both overt and covert, that characterize nurse-on-nurse aggression, also known as lateral or
horizontal violence and bullying.
Lateral violence (Griffin, 2004; Rowell, 2007; Stanley, Martin, Michel, Welton, & Nemeth, 2007),
horizontal violence (Dunn, 2003; Farrell, 1997; Hastie, 2002; Longo & Sherman, 2007) and horizontal hostility (Bartholomew, 2006; Thomas, 2003) are terms used to describe the physical, verbal or emotional abuse of an employee.
1, 2007)--"Oklahoma Nurses Association 2007 House of Delegates Resolution." "The Oklahoma Nurses Association shall acknowledge the harmful impact of
horizontal violence and engage nurses in all specialties and practice settings to reduce the harmful effects and prevent future occurrences." AACN "states that abuse can take the form of intimidating behaviors such as condescending language, impatience, angry outbursts, reluctance or refusal to answer questions, threatening body language, and physical contact."
The phenomenon where employees in similar roles become the instigators of aggression and violence towards each other was first investigated amongst nurses, and became known as
horizontal violence (Taylor 2001, Bowie 2002).
More alarming, however, is the increase in
horizontal violence, theft, and destruction of common property, and ordinary people are being threatened, tortured, and even executed by their peers.
