Workplace Bullying against Certified Registered Anaesthetists in the Tamale Metropolis in the Northern Region of Ghana

Abstract

Background: Workplace bullying is a major occupational hazard globally with negative consequences on employee health and organizational performance. Workplace bullying has significant implications for quality care delivery and care outcomes. Aim: We sought to investigate the nature and occurrence of workplace bullying and its effects on the health and job performance of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (CRAs) in the Tamale Metropolitan area of the Northern Region of Ghana. The characteristics of workplace bullying against CRAs included assigning unpleasant and menial tasks, spontaneous anger, hostilities, intimidation, unmanageable workload and threats of physical violence or actual abuse. Methodology: The study was conducted at Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), the largest referral hospital in northern Ghana. Data was collected from Certified Registered Anaesthetists, doctors, nurses, and hospital administrators, using interviews, questionnaires, and observations. Results: Prevalence of workplace bullying was 56.5% by quantitative inventory and 74.2% by subjective inventory. Also 40.3% of participants had witnessed bullying against a CRA often and 75.3% had suffered physical and psychological effects from bullying, 16.1% were off-duty between 1-20 days within the last 6 months as a result of bullying. Conclusion: The study concluded there is a high prevalence of workplace bullying against CRAs in the Tamale Metropolis with psychological and physical consequences on the victims that could affect quality patient care, care outcomes and loss of man-hours at work. It is recommended that workplace policy and worker education be undertaken by the metropolitan health directorate to urgently address the issue of workplace bullying.