Healthcare workers across the United States experience high rates of stress and burnout—and unhappy providers can impact patient outcomes. But physical, verbal, and emotional abuse should not come with the territory. Caring for others and caring for oneself shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.
Being a healthcare professional on the heels of a global pandemic and at a time when hospitals, clinics, and other facilities are understaffed presents certain challenges. Navigating these problems at work can take a toll on a provider, leading to stress, tension, anxiety, and other mental health challenges that bleed over into their personal lives.
However, there are ways to handle workplace conflicts professionally to diffuse issues and achieve lasting job satisfaction.
Interacting with Difficult Coworkers
Even in the healthiest work culture, it’s possible to encounter one—or several—challenging team members. That’s why it’s important to develop skills to deal with difficult behavior with professionalism. The same skills apply when dealing with an angry, judgemental, stubborn colleague or peer who is quick to blame others or not receptive to other ideas or opinions. Here are a few to work on when confronting unacceptable behavior:
- Pause before reacting. Take a few breaths or remove yourself from a tense interaction before you say or do something you regret.
- Communicate authentically. Remove emotion from your speech and express your thoughts calmly and clearly. Avoid personal attacks and stick to the issue at hand.
- Focus on solutions. A productive discussion aims to solve the problem and understand the other person’s perspective. Show a willingness to compromise and work together to achieve a common goal.
- Set boundaries. You may need to set boundaries if your coworker doesn’t respect your time, space, or expertise. When conflict arises, let them know they have crossed a line that makes you uncomfortable. If the behavior continues, notify an HR professional at your workplace.
- Limit contact. Some work relationships cannot be salvaged, regardless of our efforts. It’s not only difficult to work with a toxic employee, but it’s also not recommended. One “bad apple” can have a profoundly negative impact on productivity and morale. Avoid interacting with unpleasant employees and colleagues as much as possible without compromising patient care.
One thing is true about difficult people at work and in every aspect of life: you cannot control another person’s behavior. You’re only in control of how you respond to them. Use these tips to stay cool and composed, whatever comes your way.
Addressing Harassment and Discrimination
Job discrimination takes many forms. It can be unfair treatment related to hiring, compensation, promotions, and termination. It can also be direct insults, offensive behavior, physical violence, or threats of harm. In some cases, harassment becomes so extreme that it creates a hostile work environment where healthcare providers cannot perform their jobs.
In these situations, the perpetrator doesn’t even have to be in a position of power over the victim. Recruiters, medical schools, colleagues, and patients can unlawfully discriminate against a physician, nurse, or other medical professional.
State and federal civil rights laws prohibit discrimination in healthcare and other sectors based on specific protected categories, including:
- Age
- Color
- Disability
- National origin
- Race
- Religion
- Sex
Despite the strides we’ve made toward diversity and inclusion in healthcare, many providers still experience racial discrimination, gender discrimination, and age discrimination.
If you’re a victim of workplace discrimination or harassment, the first step is to report the problem to your employer. Most hospitals, health systems, and clinics have specific procedures for filing a complaint. Some incidents can be resolved at this level.
If the offensive behavior continues, or you don’t feel your employer is doing enough to stop it, don’t give up. You don’t have to tolerate discrimination and harassment; help is available.
You can file a charge of job discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the equivalent local, state, or federal agency. The agency will investigate your claim and make a determination. It may be helpful to consult an employment law attorney to protect your interests and determine if legal action is necessary.
Dealing with Workplace Violence
There are times when verbal threats escalate to physical assaults. Workplace violence is, unfortunately, all too common in healthcare because employees are under immense stress, and patients are vulnerable, afraid, or angry.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workplace violence in healthcare has been steadily increasing since 2011. In a single year, healthcare workers experienced nearly three-quarters of all nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses due to violence. The majority of these events occurred in psychiatric hospitals and substance abuse facilities, followed by nursing and residential care facilities and general hospitals.
Reducing violence in the workplace and keeping healthcare professionals safe starts at the top—with administration. Leadership must recognize and address ongoing patterns of intimidation, bullying, and verbal and physical abuse and take every safety event seriously.
Ending violence in healthcare requires a multifaceted approach:
- Education: train staff on the risks and signs of workplace violence and provide practical guidance on de-escalating tense situations, lockdown procedures, and other steps to protect themselves and others.
- Security measures: these include having trained security personnel, visitor screening, metal detectors, surveillance cameras, and panic buttons on-site.
- Enforcement: take safety threats seriously, enlist law enforcement to assist with threat management, and hold offenders accountable under the law.
- Support: provide counseling and other resources for victims to navigate the mental and physical effects of a traumatic event.
Healthcare providers are invaluable, and they deserve to feel safe at work. Doctors, nurses, PAs, and other clinicians who are not protected are more likely to have low job satisfaction and burnout, which is one of the main reasons providers leave the profession.
Whether you’re dealing with a problematic coworker or feel unsafe on the job, know your rights and prioritize your well-being. These tips for managing conflicts at work are a great starting point. Ultimately, you are your own best advocate when it comes to demanding a healthy workplace.
