The Socialization of Bullying Through Community College Nursing Education: A Multiple Case Study

Abstract

Many recent studies propose that bullying in the workplace is prevalent and is a phenomenon which occurs in the nursing workplace as well as in nursing education. This qualitative study examined the effects of vertical bullying upon community college nursing students and graduates, and the effect of this behavior upon the socialization of those learning the nursing profession. The study is based on a theoretical framework based on the findings of Salin (2003) and Twale and De Luca (2008) adapting their theory of bullying in academia which incorporated enabling, motivating and precipitating factors leading to intensified bullying. The study investigated the effects vertical bullying has on nursing student and graduate behavior, the socialization of vertical bullying through education, and its possible connection to nursing hierarchy and the academic structure supporting bullying through nursing education.