Mobbing in Health Care

Abstract

Mobbing is considered as one of the most serious psychosocial threats in working environment. It can be defined as an attempt to coerce a person at work through false ac- cusations, psychological violence, pressure, bullying, humiliation, general and emotional harassment, or terror. Based on the saying that if there are people around, there can be mobbing, so anyone can be subjected to mobbing in any country, culture, or organization. This phenomenon can be encountered everywhere in social life, especially in hierarchical structures and uncontrolled organizations. Healthcare institutions are organizations with a complex structure where work stress is quite high, and it is of utmost importance to provide error-free services within this complexity. Healthcare staff, who already have to work under heavy workloads and with insufficient resting periods, are negatively affected by mobbing incidents in health institutions. The quality of life of healthcare staff who experience social and psychological depression is significantly decreased. A strong ethical culture must be established to prevent mobbing in the workplace. In-service training seminars on mobbing must be planned for the healthcare staff at regular intervals. It is also vital to establish a strong and effective performance system in the workplace. In this context, the uncertainty of assignment and authorization among the healthcare staff must be eliminated. Working hours must also be arranged in a way that will optimize the work and private life of the healthcare staff. On the other hand, legal regulations for mobbing offences must be enforced.