What's the bloody law on this? Nurses, swearing, and the law in New South Wales, Australia.
Most clinical nurses, particularly those working in mental health areas, have to deal on a regular basis with offensive language including swearing. Despite its prevalence, there has been little academic research concerning the extent of verbal aggression within health care settings, and none about the legal aspects of swearing in a nursing context. This paper is intended to give nurses practising in Australia a better understanding of definitional aspects of swearing and offensive language, the relevant law, and the basis of policy. This will then be followed by a critical examination of the management of offensive language in health care settings.
Stone
Teresa
T
School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
Francis
Lyn
L
D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D009517:New South Wales; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011361:Professional Competence; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012660:Semantics; D012919:Social Behavior; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D017132:Workplace / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*