Updated February 3, 2026

Breaking the Silence: Sexual Harassment in Nursing and Hospice

Sexual harassment in nursing remains one of healthcare's most pervasive yet under-discussed workplace issues. Despite affecting an estimated 76% of nurses at some point in their careers, the problem continues to thrive in environments dedicated to care and healing. Many healthcare professionals recognize the uncomfortable glance, inappropriate comment, or unwelcome touch, but lack clarity on how to respond or where to turn.

However, the consequences extend far beyond personal discomfort. When harassment goes unchallenged, it affects not only individual wellbeing but also team dynamics, staff retention, and ultimately, patient care quality. The hierarchical structure of healthcare settings, coupled with fears of retaliation, creates a perfect storm where inappropriate behavior can flourish unchecked.

This guide aims to break this cycle of silence by providing healthcare workers with essential knowledge about recognizing, responding to, and preventing sexual harassment in clinical environments. Whether you've personally experienced harassment, witnessed it happening to colleagues, or want to help create a safer workplace, understanding this issue is the crucial first step toward meaningful change.

Understanding Sexual Harassment in Nursing

Defining sexual harassment in healthcare settings requires understanding both its legal parameters and real-world manifestations. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) describes sexual harassment as "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature" that interferes with work performance or creates a hostile environment.

What qualifies as sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment encompasses a wide spectrum of behaviors that make the recipient feel uncomfortable, humiliated, or threatened. In nursing contexts, these unwelcome behaviors range from seemingly minor incidents to severe violations. Studies show that approximately 95.6% of nurses have experienced some form of sexual harassment at least once in a twelve-month period.

These behaviors include:

Verbal harassment: Sexual jokes, comments about physical appearance, offensive remarks, or explicit stories
Physical harassment: Unwanted touching, hugging, kissing, or more serious offenses like sexual assault
Non-verbal harassment: Lewd gestures, inappropriate staring, showing pornographic materials
Digital harassment: Unwelcome sexually explicit messages or images sent electronically

Notably, sexual harassment in nursing can come from multiple sources. Research identifies that perpetrators are most commonly male doctors (48.3%), followed by patients (28.5%), relatives of patients (20.5%), and male nurses (17.9%).

Types of harassment: gender, coercion, and unwanted attention

Social scientists categorize sexual harassment into three distinct types:

Gender harassment involves behaviors that denigrate individuals based on their gender, such as sexist comments or offensive jokes. Despite being the most common form experienced by women, victims are seven times less likely to label this as sexual harassment compared to other forms.

Unwanted sexual attention includes behaviors that involve romantic or sexual advances that are unwelcome and unreciprocated. This encompasses inappropriate touching or persistent requests for dates despite rejection.

Sexual coercion, often called "quid pro quo" harassment, involves demands for sexual favors in exchange for benefits or to avoid negative consequences. While this type occurs least frequently, it's the most commonly reported.

Why nursing is a high-risk profession

Several factors make nursing particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment. First, an estimated 25% of nurses worldwide experience sexual harassment in the workplace, with this figure rising to 38.7% in English-speaking countries.

The intimate nature of nursing care creates situations where boundaries can be blurred. Close physical contact with patients during care activities, along with persistent social perceptions of nursing as "women's work" and the sexualization of nurses in popular culture, increases vulnerability.

Furthermore, healthcare environments feature hierarchical structures where power imbalances flourish. Studies show that sexual harassment is significantly more prevalent among younger nurses and those working in adult acute care settings rather than pediatrics.

The isolated nature of nursing work additionally increases risk. Nurses often work in private patient rooms, during night shifts, or in remote locations with minimal supervision, creating opportunities for harassment to occur unwitnessed.

Consequently, many nurses develop coping mechanisms rather than reporting incidents. Common reactions include ignoring the behavior (52%), confronting the perpetrator (40.1%), or simply not reacting or reporting at all (38.2%). This silence perpetuates the cycle, as only a small fraction of incidents are formally reported.

Understanding what constitutes sexual harassment and recognizing the unique vulnerabilities in nursing environments represents the first step toward addressing this pervasive issue.

The Role of Power and Hierarchy in Healthcare

The medical field operates on rigid hierarchical structures that create fertile ground for sexual harassment to flourish. Power imbalances between different healthcare roles establish a framework where inappropriate behavior often goes unchallenged.

How status and authority influence harassment

Healthcare environments feature distinct power gradients that directly correlate with harassment incidents. Studies reveal surgeons are frequently identified as main perpetrators of harassment against nurses. This may be attributed to the prolonged interaction between nurses and doctors in surgical settings. Specifically, the hierarchical and authoritative nature of surgery and emergency medicine departments corresponds with increased sexual harassment rates.

Academic rank plays a crucial role in this dynamic. Research examining sexual misconduct by faculty members found that 8% of perpetrators were assistant professors, 13% were associate professors, and a striking 51% were professors – suggesting harassment prevalence increases with academic position.

In this environment, hierarchical position becomes a shield for inappropriate behavior. Some institutions historically protected sexually abusive physicians who generated substantial income through high patient admissions, research grants, or philanthropic gifts. Indeed, strong departmental hierarchy was identified as the only structural factor significantly associated with sexual harassment among physicians in one academic medical center.

Gender dynamics in medical teams

Although healthcare workforces are predominantly female, leadership positions remain disproportionately male-dominated. Worldwide, women comprise approximately 70% of Community Health Workers, yet merely 14% receive adequate compensation. This gender stratification creates environments where harassment can flourish as a means of reinforcing status distinctions.

Even in medical training, gender discrimination remains entrenched – 66.6% of residents report experiencing gender discrimination. For female residents, the most common form involves being mistaken for non-physicians (77.1% of female residents versus 4.0% of male residents). Though both genders experience harassment, a clear disparity exists with 46% of female respondents reporting sexual harassment compared to 19% of male respondents.

The persistent gendering of nursing work creates vulnerability. In workplaces with more men in authority positions, research indicates an increased risk of gender harassment experiences. Moreover, characterizations of nurses as sexual objects through the 'naughty nurse' stereotype further perpetuate problematic power dynamics.

The impact of hierarchical silence

Perhaps most concerning is how hierarchy maintains a culture of silence around harassment. Studies indicate less than 10% of healthcare workers who experience harassment formally report it, with fewer than 1% reporting every incident they encounter. Most victims remain silent primarily due to fears of damaging collegial relationships or facing retaliation from those with greater power.

This silence becomes self-perpetuating. For those who do report harassment, many encounter inadequate institutional responses. Some cases are simply covered up or quietly settled with confidentiality agreements and reassignments. Through repeated exposure without consequences, sexual harassment becomes normalized – especially in operating rooms where it may be integrated into the workplace culture.

Organizational hierarchies create barriers where employees feel reporting is futile if the perpetrator holds significant authority. Furthermore, leadership may explicitly protect offenders to preserve institutional reputation. This environment emboldens harassers who recognize that power differentials insulate them from consequences.

The cycle continues as employees develop coping mechanisms rather than challenging the status quo. Many fear losing promotions or even their jobs if they speak out. This perpetuates an environment where, as one team of Community Health Workers described, "Our seniors threaten us with being fired, they do whatever they like, and they disrespect us in whatever way they want".

Barriers to Reporting and Speaking Out

Despite clear legal protections against sexual harassment, reporting remains uncommon in nursing. Numerous interlocking factors create a cycle where silence prevails even as harassment continues.

Fear of retaliation or career damage

Most nurses who experience harassment face an impossible choice between speaking up or protecting their livelihoods. Research shows that 30% of healthcare workers don't report sexual harassment because they fear negative consequences and believe no action will be taken against perpetrators. These fears aren't unfounded—nurses often experience direct threats from supervisors, including intimidation, public confrontation, and being told they'll lose support if they report.

For many, financial concerns override the desire for justice. Victims report being willing to sacrifice basic necessities, including electricity and balanced diets, to escape intolerable work environments. Even when nurses find new positions, harassment contributes to financial strain through unemployment periods, diminished hours, or reduced pay.

Cultural and institutional silence

Institutional practices frequently reinforce a culture where reporting seems futile. Approximately 50.6% of nurses indicate their organizations prioritize patients over staff concerns after violent incidents. Similarly, 38.5% don't report because they're convinced supervisors won't support them.

The healthcare setting itself creates structural barriers through:

Confidentiality agreements that new employees must sign
Disciplinary proceedings for professional misconduct
Hierarchical reporting structures that protect high-status offenders

In nursing homes, about 25% of residents interviewed reported worrying about retaliation if they complained, demonstrating how fear permeates healthcare environments at all levels.

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Why many nurses choose not to report

Beyond fear and institutional barriers, practical concerns often prevent reporting. Studies found 51.9% of nurses were unaware of how and what types of violence to report, whereas 52.6% believed reporting couldn't solve the problem.

Attitudes normalizing violence as "part of the job" remain widespread—as nurses' exposure to harassment increases, their likelihood of reporting decreases. Time constraints play a significant role as well; nurses who lack time to step away from patient care or perceive reporting systems as cumbersome are less likely to document incidents.

Perhaps most concerning, nurses who did report often found themselves blamed instead of supported. Approximately 19.2% feared being blamed after reporting, with some receiving advice to modify their behavior rather than addressing perpetrators' actions. This victim-blaming creates a violation of trust and further discourages future reporting.

The Psychological and Professional Toll

The personal and professional damage caused by sexual harassment extends far beyond the initial incident, creating ripple effects that impact nurses' wellbeing, work quality, and career paths.

Mental health consequences: anxiety, shame, PTSD

Sexual harassment inflicts substantial psychological harm on nurses who experience it. Studies confirm that harassment consistently correlates with depression, anxiety, and stress. In fact, two-thirds (69.8%) of nurses exposed to sexual harassment report being negatively affected by these incidents.

The psychological impact often manifests as:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with symptoms including disturbing memories (33.8% of victims), avoidance of harassment-related thoughts (46.4%), and remaining hypervigilant (66.2%)
Suicidal ideation, particularly among female nurses in private hospitals
Emotional distress leading to substance abuse as a coping mechanism

Even more troubling, this psychological damage typically extends beyond the workplace. As research indicates, sexual harassment affects nurses' physical health and psychological wellbeing both professionally and personally. Accordingly, many harassed individuals develop long-term intimacy and sexual functioning difficulties.

Impact on job performance and patient care

Beyond personal harm, sexual harassment undermines healthcare delivery itself. Low job satisfaction ranks as the primary complaint among harassed nurses, reported by 64.2% of victims. Subsequently, this dissatisfaction translates into measurable performance problems.

Nurses experiencing harassment show poor motivation and attention while performing duties, alongside decreased consideration for work tasks. Upon examination, researchers found harassment victims often struggle with concentration, potentially missing crucial patient information. This distraction creates tangible risks, as harassed healthcare providers show riskier prescribing profiles that could endanger patients.

The damage extends to interprofessional communication as well. In situations where the harasser is a colleague, vital patient care information may go uncommunicated, further jeopardizing care quality.

Long-term effects on career trajectory

Sexual harassment ultimately reshapes nurses' professional futures. Some nurses develop coping behaviors like avoiding certain care settings or patients entirely, limiting their professional options. Many victims experience increased absenteeism and burnout, whereas others withdraw from jobs altogether.

Research shows that 7.1% of harassment victims resign directly because of their experiences. In fact, some studies indicate that sexual harassment influences certain nurses to leave or consider leaving the profession entirely. This exodus represents a significant organizational cost, as U.S. institutions lose approximately $1 billion annually to harassment-related absenteeism, reduced morale, and new employee training.

These cascading effects—from psychological damage to career disruption—illustrate why addressing sexual harassment demands urgent attention from healthcare leaders and institutions.

Creating Safer Work Environments

Creating safer healthcare environments requires concrete action plans rather than mere awareness of the problem. Transforming workplace culture demands commitment at every level of the organization.

The importance of leadership and accountability

First and foremost, leadership commitment drives meaningful change in preventing sexual harassment. Executives must take an active role by allocating resources, encouraging transparency, and implementing zero-tolerance enforcement regardless of the harasser's position. When leaders consistently demonstrate appropriate behavior, they establish that harassment will not be tolerated. In fact, the strongest predictor of sexual harassment is organizational climate—specifically, the degree to which employees believe harassment is tolerated.

Effective training and bystander intervention

Regular, interactive training represents a cornerstone of prevention efforts. Education should target all staff members, with 81.3% of research studies identifying it as the primary approach to combating sexual harassment. Effective training must:

Define sexual harassment clearly
Include practical examples of various harassment types
Provide specific response strategies
Be repeated annually, not just during orientation

Bystander intervention training has emerged as particularly promising. This approach teaches healthcare workers to recognize problematic situations, safely intervene, and support victims appropriately. Research indicates that bystander training workshops incorporating practice exercises can significantly increase prosocial behavior.

Policy changes that make a difference

Clear, comprehensive policies create the foundation for safer environments. Over 60% of studies highlight the importance of effective guidelines. Essential policy elements include:

Detailed definitions of prohibited behaviors
Multiple reporting avenues
Protection from retaliation
Transparent investigation procedures
Graduated disciplinary actions

Encouraging open dialog and support systems

Beyond policies, organizations must foster cultures where concerns can be openly discussed. Creating opportunities to address workplace harassment—during ward rounds or staff meetings—helps normalize these conversations. Equally important, providing support services for those who experience harassment demonstrates organizational commitment to employee wellbeing.

Ultimately, building safer work environments requires coordinated efforts across leadership, education, policy, and cultural change initiatives. Only through such comprehensive approaches can healthcare organizations truly address the persistent challenge of sexual harassment in nursing.

Conclusion

Sexual harassment continues to cast a long shadow over the nursing profession, affecting not only individual wellbeing but fundamentally undermining healthcare quality. Throughout this examination, we have seen how power imbalances, institutional silence, and fear of retaliation create environments where harassment thrives unchallenged. Consequently, many nurses suffer in silence, bearing psychological scars while patient care quality deteriorates.

The evidence clearly shows that addressing sexual harassment requires action at multiple levels. Healthcare organizations must first acknowledge the problem exists rather than dismissing uncomfortable realities. Subsequently, leadership must demonstrate genuine commitment through comprehensive policies, effective training programs, and consistent accountability regardless of a perpetrator's position or status.

Change begins when every healthcare professional recognizes their responsibility. Bystanders play a crucial role by speaking up when witnessing inappropriate behavior. Similarly, creating support systems for those who experience harassment demonstrates organizational commitment to staff wellbeing.

Breaking the cycle of harassment demands courage—courage to report incidents, support colleagues, and challenge established hierarchies that protect abusers. Though the path forward requires difficult conversations and systemic changes, the alternative perpetuates harm to healthcare providers and patients alike.

Healthcare institutions exist to heal, not harm. Therefore, ensuring workplaces free from sexual harassment aligns perfectly with medicine's foundational values. When nurses can work without fear of harassment, they provide better care, experience greater job satisfaction, and remain committed to their profession. Undoubtedly, addressing sexual harassment benefits everyone—healthcare workers, patients, and organizations committed to excellence in care.

References

Have you been a victim of Sexual Harassment? Our Los Angeles employment lawyer Sam Setyan and his legal team of experts will provide you the quality legal services required to win your case, and bring you justice. Sam Setyan will review your grievance, tell you your options, and guide you to the most favorable outcome possible. Call today 213-618-3655, it’s free and there’s no fee till you win.

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