Professor Russell Mannion, with colleagues at the Universities of Surrey, Cardiff and Macquarie, is being funded by NIHR HSDR to undertake research on unprofessional behaviour in health care settings.  Unprofessional behaviours include incivility, rudeness, disrespect, overstepping boundaries, verbal aggression, sexual and racial harassment and bullying. Such behaviours include micro-aggressions that are brief and subtle, that are directed specifically towards groups based on race, gender or sexual orientation  Unprofessional behaviour is sufficiently widespread in the NHS and other health systems that it could be considered endemic: 19% of staff in the 2020 NHS staff survey reported that they have personally experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at work from other colleagues. The study will draw on Realist review methods and fresh empirical work to better understand the contexts of unprofessional behaviours; the mechanisms which trigger different types of unprofessional behaviours; and the outcomes of unprofessional behaviours on staff, patients and wider system of healthcare. The overall aim is to improve context-specific understanding of how, why and in what circumstances unprofessional behaviours in healthcare occur and guidance as to how unprofessional behaviour can be best mitigated, managed and prevented.

For further information about this research contact Professor Mannion.