Workplace bullying is an important nursing issue that can influence a nurse's propensity to commit practice errors. This systematic review examines the influence of bullying behaviors on nursing practice errors and includes articles from 2012 to 2017 that focus on bullying among nurses in multiple health care settings, including ORs, emergency departments, and acute inpatient and critical-care units. Analysis of 14 relevant articles revealed four themes: the influence of the work environment on nursing practice errors, individual-level connections between bullying and nursing practice errors, barriers to teamwork, and communication impairment. This review indicates that nurses perceive that bullying influences nursing practice errors and patient outcomes, although the mechanisms are unclear. Additional research is needed to elucidate the effects of bullying on nursing practice errors and patient outcomes.
Keywords: medical errors; nursing practice errors; patient safety; work environment; workplace bullying.
© AORN, Inc, 2020.