Underreporting bullying experiences among nursing students in clinical training sittings : a descriptive study

Abstract EN

Background: The experience of bullying in clinical settings is a widespread problem across the world that has gained limited attention in the nursing profession.

Supporting nursing students to report any experiences of bullying is crucial to maintaining a healthy learning environment and improving patient care.

Objective: The current study evaluated the experiences of bullying as reported by student nurses in the College of Nursing at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman.

Method: A descriptive design was used.

A sample of 161 undergraduate nursing students was recruited from the university using a simple randomization method.

Student experiences were assessed via the Student’s Experience of Bullying during Clinical Placement (SEBDCP) and socio-demographic information was also collected.

Results: Overall, 61.4% of students in the current study had experienced bullying at least once during their clinical training; however, 27.8% of bullied students reported the violent behaviors officially, 70.4% of them reported to a faculty member.

Almost half of the reported cases were resolved to students’ satisfaction.

A key reason 61.1% of students did not report that they had been bullied was their belief that the behaviors were simply part of their job.

Most students were not aware of university-wide policies that were in place to address bullying behaviors in the college and the clinical settings.

Conclusion: Raising awareness about the problem of bullying within the nursing profession is crucial to dealing with it effectively.

Helpful approaches for doing so would require holistic solutions, clear processes for reporting bullying and ways to ensure that the impact of bullying highlight on students does not dissuade them from pursuing their chosen careers