The contextual issues associated with sexual harassment experiences reported by registered nurses.
OBJECTIVE
The study aimed to explore contextual conditions in Australian health care workplaces that make sex-based and sexual harassment (SB&SH) a relatively common experience for registered nurses (RNs).


METHODS
Unstructured, in-depth interviews with a convenience sample of Australian RNs.


METHODS
The informants were 16 RNs (15 female and one male), working in health care, who were students enrolled in advanced tertiary preparation in nursing, counselling, and health care management at an Australian university.


METHODS
Experiences described by the interview informants identified four conditions present in their workplace when they experienced SB&SH.


RESULTS
Informants noted: 1) the silence that surrounds harassment; 2) that they could not expect support from their peers and professional colleagues; 3) that education did not exist in their workplaces regarding (SB&SH) and, 4) that traditional stereotypes associated with RNs were closely linked to the experience of harassment in the workplace.


CONCLUSIONS
Inadequate coverage of workplace issues related to (SB&SH) in undergraduate or postgraduate educational programs were identified.
Madison
Jeanne
J
School of Health, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
Minichiello
Victor
V
D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016272:Occupational Health; D015279:Organizational Culture; D016134:Organizational Policy; D019555:Physician-Nurse Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D017406:Sexual Harassment / Q000517:prevention & control; D013240:Stereotyping