Sexual harassment of female registered nurses in hospitals

Sexual harassment of nurses seriously affects nursing performance and productivity. In this survey, sexual harassment by male patients and coworkers was reported by greater than 70% of the female staff nurses surveyed. The most common manifestations of harassment were sexual remarks; however, behaviors involving touch were frequent. Nurses noted that they often confronted patients when these behaviors occurred, but were less likely to confront male co-workers. Findings suggest that nursing managers and executives must discover and eliminate sexual harassment in hospital work settings and create work cultures that discourage manifestation of sexually harassing behaviors.