Bullying in the workplace: what it is and how to cope with it

There is little documented evidence on bullying in the workplace in dentistry, and little thought has been given to dental nursing and occupational stress. However, in recent years, occupational stress has become a major focus for the NHS (Beckford, 2008).

In 1999, one of the world's greatest icons, Florence Nightingale, was knocked off her pedestal by British nurses who called for a more up-to-date figure; this was due to conflicting evidence surrounding Nightingale's status as a ‘ministering angel’ Nelson (2003). Nelson (2003) examined Florence Nightingale's history and revealed that she had been described by some of her colleagues during the Crimean War (1853–1856) as demanding, manipulative and overbearing. Nightingale was thought to put down nurses even as she was trying to elevate the profession; she was regarded as a ‘towering figure in the Victorian age’ by many people back then, as she still is today (Luparell, 2011).