Are your staff being bullied? It's likely, according to the American Nurses Association (ANA), which recently announced its support for a "zero tolerance" policy for bullying and workplace violence.

In a new position statement, the ANA says nurses "will no longer tolerate violence of any kind from any source" and calls on employers and RNs to create a healthy and safe work environment. The group's position addresses several negative workplace actions, ranging from incivility to bullying and physical violence.

Bullying is common in the nursing field, the ANA says. In a recent survey of nearly 4,000 RNs, the group found that nearly a quarter of respondents had been physically assaulted while at work by a patient or a patient's family member. Additionally, up to half of respondents say they have been bullied, either by a peer (50%) or someone of a higher authority (42%).

Because of this, the ANA is asking RNs and employers to work together to create a "culture of respect" and implement a zero tolerance policy for bullying or violence. They define bullying as "repeated, unwanted harmful actions intended to humiliate, offend and cause distress."

"Taking this clear and strong position is critical to ensure the safety of patients, nurses and other health care workers," says ANA President Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, in a statement. "Enduring physical or verbal abuse must no longer be accepted as part of a nurse's job."

In addition to setting a zero tolerance policy in your facility, the ANA is asking employers to:

• Encourage employees to reports incidents of violence, and to never blame nurses for violence caused by non-employees.
• Ask nurses to participate in education programs, learn organizational policies and procedures and use "situational awareness" to anticipate the potential for violence.
• Develop a comprehensive violence prevention program.
• Provide a mechanism for nurses to seek support if they feel threatened.
• Inform employees about available strategies for conflict resolution and respectful communication.
• Offer education sessions on incivility and bullying, including prevention strategies.

For more information on how you can prevent bullying and violence in the workplace, ANA says it has several resources available, including the booklet, Bullying in the Workplace: Reversing a Culture, and a bullying tip card.

Kendal Gapinski