Coercion and the corruption of care in mental health nursing : lessons from a case study

The study of workplace deviance and wrongdoing, particularly workplace bullying, has captured the attention of clinicians and researchers in the nursing field in recent years (Cleary, Hunt, Walter, & Robertson, 2009; Cleary, Hunt, & Horsfall, 2010; Hutchinson, Vickers, Wilkes, & Jackson, 2009; Jackson, Peters et al., 2010; Vessey, DeMarco, & DiFazio, 2011). A limitation of this body of work is that is has primarily focused upon the emotional consequences of the behaviour for nurses and the effect on recruitment and retention (Simons & Mawn, 2010; Spence Laschinger, Grau, Finegan, & Wilk, 2010; Yildirim, 2009). Very few studies have specifically examined how bullying or other forms of wrongdoing can erode work group dynamics and lead to unethical behaviours that may impact upon care delivery or harm those in the care of nurses (Jackson & Raftos, 1997). Similarly, little is known about whether, and how often, nurses may in certain circumstances intentionally engage in behaviours and practices that risk harm to patients or hamper care. Little is understood, too, about how nurses who witness or learn of these behaviours may eventually come to accept wrongdoing, or even go a step further and engage in the behaviour themselves.