Bullying in nursing students: A integrative literature review

The purpose of this integrative review was to analyse the current situation of bullying in nursing students through an exhaustive review of the last 10 years. As the sources of information, we used electronic databases, such as Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane, and SciELO, using bullying, nursing students, and clinical environment as search terms. We based the methodology of the study in PRISMA checklist. Articles were selected for their relevance and suitability for the purpose, and they were constructed into a table. A critical appraisal was done using MMAT TOOL and AACOODS checklist. Papers were analysed using a constant comparison and a concept mapping. Finally, 30 articles were included. We analysed: prevalence, profile of the victim and perpetrator, type of violence, and bullying consequences. Bullying prevalence varied from 9-96% according to the author. Differences about the influence of sociodemographic variables were detected, there is no consensus about age, gender, or educational level. Bullying in nursing students is an important problem that affects all spheres of their life. Harassment also has consequences for the patient and for the health organization, so it is really important to take action regarding bullying and to act to victims, perpetrators, and health organizations. Regarding to implications for nursing practice, we found that some interventions were useful to reduce bullying, so it is important to participate in intervention programmes to eventually stop this problem. This study has revealed that more research on the efficacy of psychological intervention programmes to help students cope with bullying situations is essential.