Heather Carter
Why do we need to talk about bullying and lateral violence?
Currently the veterinary industry is facing a mass exodus. Our veterinary teams experience constant internal and external pressures. The external pressures include navigating the needs or concerns of worried and upset clients, the endless phone calls, and surviving a year of curbside medicine during a pandemic. Intensifying the external pressures is the internal stressor of bullying or lateral violence. As leaders we have control over the internal stressors and take responsibility for the factors that hurt morale and hinder success.
The leadership at Stafford-Brooks Consulting want to acknowledge and discuss the factors that are causing bullying and lateral violence. We are dedicated to creating the systems that will repair our industry and preserve our teams. Studies in human nursing have estimated that ~45-100% of nurses have experienced lateral violence in their careers (Detwiler & Vaughn, 2020). The veterinary technician community is similar to nursing due to similar patterns of turnover, mental health concerns, and addiction. As leaders we have to take responsibility for these high numbers and work to heal the people who experience bullying and lateral violence.
What is bullying and lateral violence?
Common events in the veterinary technician industry include understaffing, excessive work hours and increases in work demands (Zak, 2020). These factors are compounded and intensified when bullying and lateral violence occur between technicians. Bullying is identified by acts perpetuated one someone by an individual in a higher level of authority (Dudley, 2015). As a comparison, lateral violence refers to acts between colleagues (Vessey & Williams, 2021). These behaviors involve “covert or overt” acts of verbal and non-verbal aggression. Combined, these actions are non-consensual, continuous, and harmful actions that are designed to ridicule and hurt the recipient (Vessey & Williams, 2021). Examples of these actions include gossip, intimidation, backstabbing, exclusion, blaming, hypercritical responses, and criticizing without solutions (Lateral Violence in Nursing, 2021). It is reasonable to appreciate how the impact of bullying and lateral violence increases turnover and cause people to leave the industry.
A frequent explanation for lateral violence is the oppressed group theory. This theory, developed by Paulo Freire in 1970, explains that members of powerless and oppressed groups generate disdain for fellow group members (Roberts 2015). The motivation for the distain towards peers is a belief in their own inferiority because they feel devaluated in a culture where the power exists in a more dominant group (Roberts, 2015).
How does this happen?
Lateral violence is well documented in the human nursing industry. As previously mentioned, creating parallels to the veterinary industry is logical due to similarities in lack of staff, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Among human nurses, the toxic behaviors of lateral violence were initially accredited to the lack of power and influence in the workplace (Roberts, 2015). Presently, the most supported cause of lateral violence in nursing is the stress associated with inadequate staffing and lack of physical and emotional resources (Nemeth et al., 2017).
Lateral violence exists in the organizational hierarchies and develops in the power that is exerted by a leader who controls the flow of information to colleagues (Vessey & Williams, 2021). It is able to permeate due to high-intensity environments where employees are expected to be reliable in their emotions, knowledge, and responses. Examples of high-intensity environments include intensive care units, emergency services, and surgical settings (Vessey & Williams, 2021). Further enabling of lateral violence occurs due to the ongoing cycle of turnover and poor leadership.
What are the impacts of lateral violence?
The technicians who experience bullying and lateral violence suffer from a variety of psychological and physical effects. Technicians can feel irritability, anxiety, depression, loss of confidence, and loss of self-esteem (Vessey & Williams, 2021). Understandably, these effects negatively impact the technician’s ability to function professionally. When an individual anticipates the lateral violence, they are disinclined to ask questions or ask for help. As a result, poor decisions or mistakes can occur.
How can leadership prevent bullying and lateral violence?
Strong leadership can empower each role within the veterinary practice. The first step in eliminating lateral violence is an acknowledgement of the extent and its impact on the culture (Roberts, 2015). Additional interventions incorporate individual and organizational changes. A second line of defense individual interventions begin with providing education, counseling, and mediation. This is accompanied by organizational policies and that define lateral violence and enforce penalties. It is important to note that these policies are applied to each role within the organizational chart. Lastly, creating social interactions and “restorative” interventions that engender collective accountability to create a safe and supportive culture will dissolve the harmful and malignant effects of lateral violence (Hutchinson & Jackson, 2013).
More about the author
Heather has 15 years of experience in the veterinary industry on both the medical and leadership side. She has a veterinary technician specialty (VTS) in anesthesia & analgesia and is currently working on completing a master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Heather brings a strong understanding of individual and team dynamics as well as the needs and struggles of those who work in the veterinary industry. Heather is dedicated to healing the landscape of veterinary medicine and reinvigorating people’s love and passion for the profession.
If you would like more information on bullying and lateral violence in the veterinary industry and how to fix it, contact Heather Carter at heather.carter@staffordbrooksconsulting.com
References
Detwiler, K., Vaughn, N. (2020, August 12). What is Lateral Violence in Nursing. Relias. https://www.relias.com/blog/what-is-lateral-violence-in-nursing
Dudley, D. B. (2015). Lateral violence and bullying in nursing. Medsurg Nursing, 24(4), S16.
Hutchinson, M., & Jackson, D. (2013). Hostile clinician behaviours in the nursing work environment and implications for patient care: A mixed-methods systematic review. BioMed Central Nursing 12(25), 1-12
Lateral Violence in Nursing. (2018, November 5). Nursing News. https://www.americanmobile.com/nursezone/nursing-news/lateral-violence-in-nursing-how-you-can-make-a-difference/#:~:text=According%20to%20Plaxe%2C%20examples%20of%20lateral%20violence%20in,Shouting%20or%20other%20unprofessional%20conduct%2010%20Unfair%20assignments
Nemeth, L. S., Stanley, K. M., Martin, M. M., Mueller, M., Layne, D., & Wallston, K. A. (2017). Lateral Violence in Nursing Survey: Instrument Development and Validation. Healthcare (Basel), 5(3), 33–. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare5030033
Roberts, S. J. (2015). Lateral Violence in Nursing: A Review of the Past Three Decades. Nursing Science Quarterly, 28(1), 36–41. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318414558614
Vessey, J. A., & Williams, L. (2021). Addressing Bullying and Lateral Violence in the Workplace A Quality Improvement Initiative. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 36(1), 20–24. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000480
Zak, I. (2020, November 6). Veterinary Technicians Under Stress: The highest level of burnout in the survey. Veterinary Integration Solutions. https://vetintegrations.com/insights/vet-technicians-burnout/#:~:text=Experiencing%20this%20loss%20can%20lead%20to%20veterinary%20technicians,the%20veterinary%20field%20about%20five%20years%20after%20graduating.
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