One of the biggest issues facing nurses today are doctors and leaders who abuse their authority over those who are underneath them. Nick Angelis, C.R.N.A., and M.S.N., the author of How to Succeed in Anesthesia School, and co-owner of the Florida-based BEHAVE Wellness, interviewed  with Nurse.org about his own experience working with problematic doctors and peers.

It comes as an added perk for nurses who learn how to defuse tense and hostile situations between patients and staff, or dealing with arguments between staff members.  Angelis is no stranger to conflict in his long years working in healthcare, and he has picked up several techniques on how to de-escalate conflicts by using his easy-going and eccentric personality. He has acquired these skills partly through the improvisation and acting practice that he frequently attends, which have provided him with the necessary communication techniques to avoid bullying and abusive behavior. “I work with an improvisation group, and I do a lot of writing and acting. People bully those who they think will cower. I use my eccentric personality as a tool to prevent bullying,” he says.

What Is Abusive Behavior?

Before learning how to deal with abusive behavior, Angelis first explains what is considered “abusive.” He explains how some doctors throw things around, yell at their subordinates, and make the workplace terrible for everyone, in general. However, we must know exactly what behavior is considered inappropriate or abusive before taking measures to prevent or reduce it.

Robert T. Sataloff, MD, DMA, professor, and chair of the department of otolaryngology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, states that the definition of disruptive or abusive behavior has been really fleshed out over the last few decades. What was considered appropriate or, at the very least, tolerable 10 to 20 years ago, is considered unacceptable by today’s standards. Furthermore, Judith Holmes, JD, of Judith Holmes and Associates, and co-creator of Master Series Seminars, LLC, says that the line between acceptable and abusive behavior has been blurred because doctors who are just not pleasant to work with don’t necessarily fit the bill of an abusive person.

Holmes defined abusive behavior as: “Making threats, shouting or throwing things, making condescending comments, criticizing a colleague in front of a patient or other staff members, vocalizing sexually inappropriate comments, touching a colleague in a sexual way, verbally harassing or mocking a colleague, which can lead to legal liability if it involves a person’s age, race, gender, disability, religion, pregnancy, or other protected category, and refusing to comply with established policies and procedures.”

Dealing With Abusive Behavior

If you have been subjected to any of the above, you might have been a victim of abusive behavior in the workplace. To prevent this from happening in the future, Angelis suggests the following

• Set aside your differences: At the end of the day, a hospital is just a conglomerate of nurses, doctors, and other professionals that get together in lieu of promoting the health and well-being of the community they reside in. While we won’t definitely see eye-to-eye with everyone, we can agree to set our differences aside and work to complete our objective.
• Search for a new job: This is hardly the optimal route as it involves the hardships of looking for a new place of employment. However, if the situation becomes impossible to resolve, it just might be the healthiest alternative for you. Make sure to state plainly the reasons for why you are leaving in the exit interview so that the administration realizes that it is because of abusive behavior. Furthermore, make sure to consult with the nurses and staff at your prospective employers to see if there are similar situations happening, so you know which places to avoid.
• Even exemplary individuals have a bad day: It’s important to learn how to tell when a doctor is abusive or having a bad day. When things are not going our way, we may shout, fight, and cause harm to our surroundings. While it’s not an ideal way to vent  our frustration, it’s important to understand that this behavior is the exception, and not the norm. In this sense, it’s important to develop a thick skin in this trade, so that you’re not easily fazed when someone acts out.

Nursing is a very important field that sometimes comes with unwarranted attacks and abuse by people in positions of authority. Nevertheless, it’s important to know your standing in your workplace and to learn about the importance of what you do in order to stick up for yourself when someone is abusive. As Angelis says, “You are valuable. You matter. No one can make you feel inferior without your permission and you have the power to change your circumstances. There is no place for bullying within the healthcare industry.”