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Workplace harassment a common problem for surgical residents

by | Nov 4, 2019 | Sexual Harassment |

In Missouri and across the nation, workplace harassment can occur in any type of employment including medicine, For aspiring and in-training medical professionals, their career path can be made more difficult by the troublesome prevalence of workplace mistreatment. Recent research has shown how often this occurs.

A survey of more than 7,400 surgery residents from across the U.S. shows that various forms of workplace mistreatment were common. Researchers found that 32 percent stated they were subjected to sex discrimination, 30 percent were bullied or abused, more than 16 percent faced racial discrimination, and more than 10 percent were sexually harassed. This was a major contributing factor toward burnout. In addition, the survey showed that around 31 percent said they were subjected to this mistreatment a few times annually. 19 percent said they were confronted by it a few times per month.

Fewer than 40 percent of those who took part in the survey were female, but they were two times as likely to say they were mistreated. More than 47 percent of those who were racially discriminated against and almost 44 percent of those who were sexually harassed dealt with these issues during interactions with patients and families. More than half of the alleged verbal and physical abusers were attending surgeons. These individuals committed sexual harassment more than 27 percent of the time. 38.5 percent of surgical residents showed signs of burnout. 4.5 percent reported they considered suicide in the previous year. Females had a one-third greater chance of showing symptoms of burnout.

Workplace abuse can hinder employees in myriad ways including being the catalyst for burnout. This is especially true in the medical industry. When there is sexual harassment, discrimination or any other violation, legal assistance might be helpful in reaching a settlement or engaging in litigation.

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