After taking shift report from the day nurse, a senior nurse on the unit comes to you and says, "Double check all your orders and MARs before you get started. The nurse you followed is a total screw up." How should you handle this situation?

Explanation

•The most professional choice given is to discretely share this incidence of  lateral violence with the charge nurse.

•The American Nurses Association defines lateral violence as overt or covert acts of verbal or non-verbal aggression that occur between colleagues. Gossiping about another nurse's errors is a covert act of verbal aggression. Respectfully discussing the impact of this behavior with the senior nurse or confiding in a leader are the best things the nurse can do in this situation.

•All of the other choices contribute to the lateral violence initiated by the senior nurse.

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