Advocacy in action - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... Cases that occur are for instance nurse on nurse conflict, incivility in nursing, horizontal conflict as well as lateral conflict (Hover, 2010). A majority of nurses are scared of speaking out when they see incivility being conducted to other nurses or they do not know what is and is not the tolerated behavior (Harris, 2012). The question is why do such caring experts allow such behaviors to exist? How can nurses stop horizontal conflict and welcome those entering the nursing career with open arms and caring hearts? This paper will discuss horizontal violence and incivility in nursing. It will also examine some key ways of addressing such hurtful and non-caring behaviors to the hospital administration and its stakeholders in the form of a letter. Horizontal violence refers to an aggressive or hostile behavior by group members or an individual towards another individual or persons of another despised group. Critics refer to this as inter-group rivalry or violence. It is endemic among the health care environ, and it is a destructive and unacceptable phenomenon (Hover, 2010). All nurses are urged to work together to tackle issues of oppression and eliminate any unhealthy actions from the workplace. Horizontal violence may be conscious or unconscious behavior. The conflict normally causes emotional, psychological and spiritual damages. It can also have devastating and enduring effects on the recipient nurse or nurses. It may be covert or overt (Harris, 2012). It is mainly non physical, but at times nurses take it to the extent of hitting, shoving or throwing objects. Horizontal violence originates from an internalized low self esteem or self-hatred as a result of being part of an exploited group (Longo, 2008). Horizontal violence is the inappropriate manner that oppressed nurses use to release tension or stress when they cannot address or solve issues with the oppressor. In a majority of nursing institutions, a dominator model of social organization facilitates workplace hierarchy. This limits practice and autonomy of various groups of nurses and, therefore; it functions as an oppressive force. Nurses are grouped into oppressive structures and unequal power relations in the workplace system (Hover, 2010). Some groups of nurses such as supervisors within each particular station automatically adopt inflated attitudes and feelings of superiority. Some groups, such as new nurses, automatically adopt submissive feelings and attitudes and, therefore, they seem to be helpless within the health center (Harris, 2012). The internal conflict, caused by conforming to structural demands, leads to the buildup of low self esteem and self-hatred of certain groups of nurses that eventually causes horizontal violence (Hover, 2010). Horizontal violence refers to a symptom of the dynamics involving oppression and a feeling of powerlessness (Hughes, 2005). These factors are common in health care just as water is common to fish. They shape, mould, as well as dictate, the behavior of nurses within the workplace culture. Horizontal violence is an example of harassment to those who are from different status quo (Hughes, 2005). Horizontal violence among nurses is as a result of history and politics of the western civilization and practices and ideology associated with the stereotyping and socialization classes of people in western culture, especially females. It is a cultural and system issue, a symptom of a spiritually, psychologically and emotionally toxic and oppressive environment. Even though, individual pathology flourishes in an environment that supports and condones aggressive behavior, ...Download file to see next pagesRead More