The Stopit! programme to reduce bullying and undermining behaviour in hospitals

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Workplace bullying in the National Health Service (NHS) significantly impacts costs, patient safety, and staff retention.
• Previous interventions, including training, have had limited success in mitigating these issues.
• The Illing report (2013) highlighted the need for effective strategies against bullying and harassment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a well-evaluated program designed to reduce workplace bullying and undermining behaviors within the NHS.
• To demonstrate a novel evaluation methodology for assessing intervention effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A realist evaluation approach was used, detailing program assumptions and designer intentions.
• Q-sort methodology was employed three months post-intervention to categorize participants into context-mechanism-output (CMO) groups.
• Interviews were conducted with participants from two identified groups to assess program influence.

Main Results:

• Q-sort analysis identified three distinct beneficiary typologies: professionals, colleagues, and victims.
• Each group engaged with different program components based on their prior experiences with workplace bullying.
• The 'Stopit!' workshops demonstrated effectiveness in addressing bullying behaviors.

Conclusions:

• The study validates the use of Q-sort methodology within a realist evaluation framework for identifying CMOs.
• The evaluated program effectively targets workplace practices to reduce bullying, shifting focus from victim coping mechanisms.
• Findings offer practical implications for strengthening anti-bullying initiatives in healthcare settings, aligning with Illing report recommendations.