Physiology of Bullying

Developing trauma-preventative leadership in Children and Young People’s Nursing

Presenter: Liza K. Collins, MA, FRSA,

Liza Collins is a Strategic Healthcare Culture Specialist, trauma-preventative & relational leadership expert, and author of The Physiology of Bullying. With 36 years’ experience across the NHS and international health systems, she works with leaders and organisations to prevent workplace harm, restore trust and build cultures that support safe, relational care.

Liza is Chair of the Stop Hurt at Work Committee, Faculty Advisor to the Australian Institute of Healthcare Executives, and a member of the European Health Futures Forum. Her work bridges neuroscience, leadership, and lived experience to address the impact of culture on staff wellbeing, patient safety, and outcomes, particularly within high-pressure healthcare environments.

Summary of webinar presentation:

Workplace bullying and chronic organisational stress are increasingly recognised as risks to staff wellbeing, but their impact on clinical connection, trust and patient safety is less well understood.

This webinar explores the physiology of bullying and how prolonged exposure to threat, fear and dysregulation affects leaders, staff, and ultimately the care of children and families. Drawing on neuroscience, trauma research, and healthcare leadership experience, Liza Collins will examine why dysregulated systems struggle to sustain empathy, trust, and relational care, and why this is particularly critical in Children and Young People (CYP) nursing.

The session introduces trauma-preventative leadership as an upstream, evidence-based approach that focuses on creating the conditions for safety, regulation, and trust, not just responding after harm has occurred. Practical reflections and leadership insights will support nurses and leaders to recognise early warning signs of cultural risk and understand their role in protecting relational care

Learning outcomes

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Understand how workplace bullying and chronic stress affect the nervous system and relational functioning
• Recognise the impact of staff and leadership dysregulation on connection, trust and care in CYP settings
• Explain why psychological safety and trust are foundational to effective paediatric nursing and family-centred care
• Identify the principles of trauma-preventative leadership and their relevance to nursing leadership and culture
• Reflect on how leadership behaviours can either restore or erode safety within clinical teams

Image Compassion by Pressfoto on Freepik