Warning – this Job Contains Strong Language and Adult Themes: Do Nurses Require Thick Skins and Broad Shoulders to Deal with Encounters Involving Swearing?

Swearing is used to express deep emotional feelings so it is not surprising that nurses encounter it because they connect with people at their most vulnerable. Perhaps more surprising is the frequency with which nurses are the target. This chapter will explore the complexities of the offensiveness of bad language in the workplace, whether nurses would benefit from becoming “thick skinned and broad shouldered” to counter the impact, or if some other method might more successfully deal with the emotional effect and assist them to cope with this sometimes “extreme behaviour with presence and attunement” (Delaney 2009a).