Nurse Managers Speak Out About Disruptive Nurse-to-Nurse Relationships.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to explore nurse managers' (NMs') perceptions regarding disruptive nurse-to-nurse relationships.
BACKGROUND: Nurse managers play a pivotal role in creating and sustaining healthy practice environments. They must understand how to recognize and confront disruptive nurse relationships that can threaten the health of their units.
METHODS: A qualitative study design using researcher-participant interviews of 13 NMs from 5 institutions provided data regarding NMs' views on nurse relationships.
RESULTS: Nurse managers reported how they became aware of disruptive nurse relationships, their strategies for dealing with those relationships, and the impact that confronting disruptive relationships had on them personally.
CONCLUSION: Findings can be helpful to NMs who are faced with addressing disruptive nurse-to-nurse relationships as they endeavor to create and sustain healthy work environments.