Bullying
has been shown to be a growing problem at workplaces. In health care it
has been found to relate to sickness absenteeism, resignation and
leaving the profession. It also endangers patient safety. Nursing
students may also experience bullying during their clinical placements. The
purpose of this literature review was to describe the manifestation of
bullying targeted at nursing students by nursing staff during clinical
placements, the consequences of bullying to students and the coping
mechanisms used by the students.
The review findings
reveal that bullying manifests in verbal and nonverbal communication. It
affects negatively on students’ health and well-being, their
professional growth, their image of nursing profession and their career
plans.
The mostly used coping mechanism was discussing the incident with
fellow students, friends and family. The findings of this review imply
that research-based knowledge concerning effective intervention and
prevention strategies against bullying is needed.