Bullying in the workplace is associated with negative job satisfaction and retention. It has also been found to have adverse effects on the health of employees. Using a qualitative descriptive design, this study examined the stories of bullying among nurses based on actual or witnessed experiences. One hundred eighty-four newly licensed U.S. nurses responded to an open-ended question on a survey about bullying mailed to their homes. Four major themes emerged that related to varying types of bullying behaviors, perceived causes of bullying, and the impact of bullying behaviors. The themes included structural bullying; nurses "eating their young"; being out of the clique; and leaving the job. Bullying is experienced firsthand and secondhand by nurses, and particularly by vulnerable, newly graduated nurses. Workplace bullying must be explored fully to develop effective strategies to eliminate it.

Since the flexible Levin tube was introduced in 1921, enteral feeding has become ubiquitous. From the out-set, nurses have been responsible for confirming the correct placement of enteral feeding tubes prior to their use for alimentation or medication administration, but current nursing practice doesn't always reflect the best evidence. Although research has established the inadequacy of auscultation to determine proper tube placement, this method is still commonly practiced. The authors examine the research that's been conducted over the past 25 years and compare the accumulated evidence with current practice, as reflected in a convenience sample of 28 New England hospitals. In addition, they evaluate various methods for assessing enteral feeding tubes and make evidence-based practice recommendations.

This qualitative descriptive study explored nurses’ experience of being bullied and examined their coping strategies. A purposive sample of 18 registered nurses who self-identified as being targets of bullying behavior was used. The authors found that nurses used a variety of coping strategies. An understanding of these strategies can assist staff development educators to develop interventions to eliminate this pervasive problem.