Sickness in Health – Happell Consulting

I am very excited to announce the recent publication of my book: Sickness in Health: Bullying in Nursing and other Health Professions.

If you are a health care professional, it is likely you have experienced or witnessed workplace bullying. If you a friend or family member of a health professional you have probably seen the effects of bullying. We tend to assume that health professionals are caring and compassionate people. Sadly this is not always the case, particularly when it comes to their colleagues. The health professions have among the highest rates of bullying of any occupational or professional group. This book shines a light on bullying and its very real human consequences for health professionals. Statistics about bullying in health present a disturbing picture. However, they don’t convey the human impact on people who only want to do good for others.

My experiences or bullying spurred me to write this book. I had a lot to say. I didn’t want it to be just about me. I wanted to talk to people with bullying experiences, to be a conduit for them to tell their stories. I wanted to present the human side. To show what it feels like when constant bullying prevents you from doing the job you love. I wanted to give voice to their stories of how the traumatic effects of bullying didn’t end when the targets went home. I wanted to show the pervasive impact of bullying and toxicity on their lives, the lives of the very people with responsibility for the health and well-being of others. My story and those of twelve other health professionals demonstrates first-hand the impact of bullying on almost every aspect of their lives and careers, and how helpless they felt with their attempts to achieve resolutions. For most, the impact of bullying continued to affect their lives, even when they were no longer subjected to the toxic environment.

The stories show that bullying is much more than the actions of a few, it is deeply embedded in the culture of institutions responsible for providing quality health care. This book shows the necessity to expose these appalling behaviours and their human costs to address workplace bullying and create a healthy and safe environment for everyone in healthcare.