“It broke my heart leaving when and how I did. I simply couldn’t take it anymore. I had to go. I felt like my life depended on it,” said Brenda Happell, Professor of Mental Health at Southern Cross University. 

The esteemed academic, with more than four decades of experience in healthcare and university settings has penned a book reflecting on her own, and 12 other healthcare professionals’ experiences, of workplace bullying, in the aim of helping other clinicians. 

Sickness in Health: Bullying in nursing and other health professions shines a light on bullying and its real human consequences for health professionals. It helps students and practitioners of the health professions recognise and develop strategies to cope with workplace bullying. 

Professor Happell’s successful career as a mental health nurse ended abruptly when she sacrificed the work she loved for the sake of her physical and mental health. “I loved my jobs. I loved the work, the variety, and the autonomy. The decision to leave was always hard and meant saying goodbye to much that was satisfying.” 

She discovered that the impacts of bullying do not disappear upon leaving a toxic environment and found she could not heal until making sense of her experiences. The book, the result of her determination to share those experiences, and her reflection of the current inadequacies to address it, includes strategies to stop workplace bullying. 

Professor Happell knew she was not alone and sought other health professionals across medicine, nursing, social work, psychology, who were willing to share their own stories. These 12 ‘champions’ describe their bullying experiences, and the impact on almost every aspect of their lives and careers – and how they tried to resolve or deal with it. Some were still dealing with bullying, and all felt they had been forever changed by their experiences. 

“It was distressing to hear what happened to them and is still happening to some. Lives and relationships had been destroyed,” said Professor Happell. 

Professor Happell and her ‘champions’ lost their love for the jobs that had meant so much to them, lost confidence in their ability to do their jobs, and often believed they must have done something to deserve what was happening. Some left jobs or retired early to escape the torment. 

Understanding workplace bullying is not as straightforward as it seems, said Professor Happell. 

“Not all bullies yell and scream. Subtle approaches are far more common. Micromanagement, changing goal posts, undermining, withholding resources and imposing unreasonable work demands are some examples. These tactics can be much harder to identify.”

The stories demonstrate that bullying is much more than the actions of a few. Rather, it is deeply embedded in the culture of institutions responsible for providing quality healthcare. Broader organisational structures at least condoned these practices or, at worst, encouraged them, she said. 

“Nowhere to turn is how ‘champions’ interviewed described their feelings amid the bullying. They had attempted to resolve bullying informally through direct communication or, more formally, via human resources (HR) departments and unions. Not only didn’t this not help. It led to further bullying, exclusion and often ostracism. 

“Everything we know about workplace bullying in health points to toxic environments, unqualified and often unsuitable managers, and HR departments supporting management.” 

Better preparation for leadership positions and independent processes for reporting unacceptable behaviours and actions are two suggestions for tackling bullying and its consequences. The book is aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students, and practitioners of nursing and other health professions, the public and other stakeholders of health services.  

Professor Happell hopes it may help health professionals recognise the signs of bullying and understand the need to support themselves and their colleagues. Others will hopefully see that they are not alone, and not to blame. 

Most of all, she hopes it contributes to conversations and helps improve understanding of what bullying is. 

Sickness in Health: Bullying in Nursing and other Health Professions by Brenda Happell is published by Springer  

RRP: $69.99 (exc. GST)