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Abstract
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OBJECTIVES: Bullying is defined as the perception of negative actions in which the target has difficulty in defending themself. This may include verbal, physical, or psychological force used to influence behavior. We sought to understand factors associated with bullying identified in vascular surgery trainees as well as barriers to reporting.
METHODS: An anonymous electronic survey consisting of demographic information and validated scales for bullying (NAQ-R), social support, and grit was sent to vascular surgery trainees in the United States. Respondents who reported bullying were compared to those who were not bullied.
RESULTS: Of the 516 invitations sent, 132 (26%) completed the survey. 63/132 (48%) reported being bullied or witnessed a fellow trainee being bullied in the past 6 months, with 42 (32%) reporting being bullied. Gender, marital status, paradigm of vascular training, grit level, and social support did not predict reception of bullying, although those in the highest quartile of grit showed a trend towards lower NAQ-R scores (p=0.06). As expected, trainees that reported receiving bullying had a higher NAQ-R (p<0.0001). No trainee reported daily bullying but 52% reported bullying "now and then" or several times a week. The most common perpetrator was their direct superior surgeon, although 12 (29%) reported bullying from co-residents and 6 (14%) reported bullying from patients. 15/42 (36%) did not address the bullying behavior, and the most common barriers to reporting bullying identified were fear of loss of support from supervisor (48%), loss of reputation (45%), and effect on career choices (43%). Of those who reported addressing the behavior, 56% reported the behavior continued. 70/132 (53%) reported no knowledge of institution-specific policies to address bullying in their program. The most common reasons identified for why bullying may occur in vascular training programs are "high stress environments" and "learned behavior" from others.
CONCLUSIONS: Bullying occurs in a significant amount of vascular trainees, but there are no clearly identified factors predictive of who will receive bullying. Trainees with higher grit may experience less bullying or more likely have a lower perception of bullying behavior. Further research is needed to determine the effects of bullying on vascular trainees.
Language: en |