Bullying and Incivility Experiences of Undergraduate Orthoptic Students on Clinical Placement

TL;DR

This study finds that most orthoptic students face bullying or incivility during clinical placements, often without reporting it or knowing their rights.

Contribution

The study is the first to explore bullying rates and effects among orthoptic students in clinical settings.

Findings

95% of participants experienced at least one negative act during placements.

Half of the participants reported being bullied, leading to humiliation and loss of confidence.

Most students did not report bullying and were unaware of relevant policies.

Abstract

Clinical placements in allied health are crucial for students to develop skills in real-world settings. However, these environments can expose students to incidents of incivility, bullying, or harassment. Whilst much research has explored bullying in medicine and nursing, little is known about the rate or effect of bullying in smaller allied health professions. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of bullying incidents among final year orthoptic students and assess the consequential effects of this experience.

In this cross-sectional study, final year orthoptic students and graduates who had completed placements in the preceding year were invited to complete an online survey. The survey instrument was adapted from the Clinical Workplace Learning Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised. Information on demographics, placement attributes, bullying experiences, and their effects was gathered. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

A total of 20 individuals responded to the survey; 12 (60%) final year students and 8 (40%) graduates. Almost all participants (95%) reported experiencing at least one negative act whilst on placement, with 10 (50%) indicating they experienced bullying. Of these 10, all reported feeling humiliated by the incidents, and 90% reported a loss of confidence. Almost all students (90%) did not report the behaviour when it happened, with most students also being unaware of bullying and harassment policies of the university or health facility.

Bullying and incivility pose challenges for orthoptic students during placements. This study highlights gaps in policy implementation and underscores the need for effective measures to address this issue.

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