What Is Incivility?

According to Merriam-Webster, Incivility is the act of being uncivil, rude or discourteous to others, which has become an increased problem in the recent years in the nursing community. Any act of violence whether verbal or physical toward another nurse or coworker is considered to be an act of incivility. Granted this behavior is not always meant to cause harm, but if it entails violations of social standards and practices it is considered an act of incivility. Incivility can be apparent in several styles within the workplace; such as interpersonal, cyber sources and indirectly.
Incivility, when it’s considered interpersonal it’s when one individual is directly uncivil toward another individual (nurse vs nurse). For example; one nurse
When a nurse just up and quits this puts many resident at risk for safety risk. Studies have revealed that all forms of disrupting and uncivil behavior, whether physicians or coworker’s, have similar impact on a patients safety outcome. It’s said that even seemingly inoffensive behavior directly affects a nurse’s clinical judgement. It decreases the overall care and quality that’s being provided to the patients. A negative interpersonal interaction amongst staff ultimately affects the patient. According to American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN, 2006) 24.1% of responding nurses reported being verbally abused by a nurse coworker or a nurse manager.
In the nursing profession, incivility is a breach of professional code of conducts. The actions entailed in incivility, such as intimidating and disruptive behaviors also result in other negative implications like medical errors and decreased patient satisfaction. The nursing main aim of idealism and professionalism in healthcare settings can be damaged by consistent incivility actions through individuals who create a hostile work environment for others (Lachman,
When a company’s foundations are built on these standards and guidelines, incivility becomes less of a risk for everyone. Strong leadership and communication skills are critical aspects to preventing disruptive and violent behavior among nursing staff. It also helps when companies offer counseling services, education programs, while implementing proper methods to ensure employees understand and has the knowledge to handle disruptive and bullying behaviors they encounter while at work. Having a place to turn to for assistance or guidance plays an important role with coping, stress management and conflict resolution. Educational programs and seminars offered to upper management staff is also beneficial, as they get equipped with the knowledge and tools that allow them to better assist staff members when dealing with incivility. Nurses should not fear retaliation, criticism, or retribution from coworkers or supervisors for reporting such behaviors or incivility. When there is an Open-Door policy between management and staff this will improve trust and help support resolution in incivility situations. Educate leaders on how to act as role