Introduction
Irreverent or disrespectful language and conduct are examples of incivility. Now that the term “incivility” has been established, it’s time to examine what it means in the context of nursing and beyond. Behaviors or acts that are disrespectful and disruptive in educational and nursing environments can lead to psychological anguish. If not appropriately addressed, they can develop into dangerous situations (Eka & Chambers, 2019). Incivility within nursing can be identified by nurses who are frequently blamed for problems that are beyond their control. Incivility between staff members, doctors and patients should also be identified so measures can be taken to combat these problems within the nursing community. The most common incivility within nursing is an argument over “who” did something first when both persons played a role in solving a problem. Incivility between co-workers or between nurses and physicians occur more frequently than other types of incivility because it is difficult to keep track of all individual responsibilities when working within teams or groups (Eka & Chambers, 2019). It all boils down to a lack of mutual respect on one or both sides, which invites uncivil behavior. Incivility is an issue that students in their academic nursing courses should address to prepare them for future healthcare careers.
Scope of the Problem
The incivility and communication skills of nurses can significantly impact the outcomes for their patients. Patients are likely to suffer due to nurses’ inability to communicate effectively with one another if their relationships are strained or if they are hostile toward one another. As a result, disrespectful behavior in the nursing profession is a significant issue that merits addressing due to its adverse effects (Lewis‐Pierre et al., 2019). The fundamental objective of the study that is being done in this group is to investigate, using evidence such as healthcare data, how rude behavior in nursing can affect the outcomes for patients. Incivility on the part of nurses harms both their well-being and the well-being of their patients (Kaiser, 2017). Incivility among patients, their families, doctors, and supervisors have been linked to higher rates of burnout, which is frequently the result of such behavior. Nursing workers may become less committed to their jobs due to incivility. The difficulty is that when this is the case, it is more likely that indirect incivility is the fundamental reason for the conflict.
The existence of incivility among nurses in a health care organization leads to a breakdown in communication between those nurses, which in turn can have a negative impact on the patients. For instance, if a nurse fails to contact a coworker in situations where a patient needs rapid treatment or acts rudely towards co-workers or patients, it may lead to disastrous consequences (Kaiser, 2017). This can be highly detrimental to the patient’s health and may even result in death. Harmful nurse interactions are a pervasive problem that frequently goes unreported and unnoticed in the healthcare system.
Contributing factors
It is estimated that over 70 percent of health care institutions in the United States do not have programs or procedures to manage incivility or violence in the workplace adequately. High levels of stress, emotional exhaustion, and overwork are common factors that contribute to a lack of civility (Hampton et al., 2019). The presence of social media may be another element that contributes to incivility in the workplace. Social media gives a readily available platform and is anonymous for employees to publish anything from words to images that bully other employees in the workplace (Kaiser, 2017). It might be challenging for managers to keep track of acts like these.
Workplace stress such as failing a project, strict deadlines, long stretches and long workdays with no time off are good examples of contributing factors to incivility. Because of this issue, employees may experience stress, and as a result, they may behave unacceptably toward both customers and fellow workers. Low employee morale can also contribute to the problem of incivility. For instance, it has been found that one of the primary causes of rude behavior in the workplace is a lack of staff morale and enthusiasm (Sanner-Stiehr, 2018). Employees who are unhappy in their jobs or believe that their efforts are not being recognized are more prone to act belligerently toward other people and display signs of stress. This inclination will become more prevalent if the appreciation and recognition of others are encouraged. Because of this issue, employees may experience stress, and as a result, they may behave unacceptably toward both customers and fellow workers.
Last but not least, mismatched team members also contribute to incivility. Several criteria must be taken into account when deciding how to pair up the team members. Both their work motivations and individual personalities should match or complement those of other team members for them to be effective on the team (Hampton et al., 2019). A fertile ground for incivility exists when there is a mismatch between personalities or if there are inept team members. Finally, bad employees also contribute to incivility in the nursing workplace. At the end of the range, certain persons are impolite. They might not have acquired the skills necessary to cope with adulthood, and they might find it challenging to collaborate with others in a group setting (Hampton et al., 2019). If they are not handled, inappropriate behavior and rudeness in the workplace can quickly spread like the flu. Even the most courteous workers have been known to lose their temper occasionally. The lack of courtesy is infectious and contagious.
Addressing Incivility
A policy of zero tolerance for disruptive behavior should be developed and implemented at every facility. It is crucial to identify and characterize impolite actions clearly and concisely. Every staff member needs to be aware that rude behavior will not be permitted, and if it does take place, there will be repercussions (Eka & Chambers, 2019). For instance, a nurse who engages in rude or impolite conduct receives a verbal and written warning for each transgression, and after three transgressions, the nurse’s employment is terminated. This is a compelling tactic since it serves to “put on notice” those individuals who engage in impolite behavior.
After a policy has been implemented, it is necessary to hold staff-development sessions in which employees and supervisors learn about the zero-tolerance policy regarding bullying and incivility. Education on improving communication skills, confrontation of offenders, and the use of silence to stimulate thinking are all potential components of these programs (Sanner-Stiehr, 2018). The use of quiet is a powerful tool that can successfully encourage employees to communicate with their managers (Hampton et al., 2019). Because most individuals find it difficult to remain silent when everyone else is silent, if the manager speaking to a staff member maintains pretty quiet, this will urge the staff member to answer because the boss will be encouraging the staff member to respond (Sanner-Stiehr, 2018). Every nurse needs to have the self-assurance to speak up when they witness rude behavior.
Conclusion
In general, the communication efforts of nurses and their relationships with one another have a substantial impact on the outcomes for their patients. It is possible that the patient’s condition will worsen if the nurses are unable to get along with one another. Suppose nurses are unable to speak with one another freely. In that case, they will be unable to exchange knowledge about their patients or get past their problems to act as the more mature person in a given circumstance. They do this frequently, even though there may not have been any malicious purpose behind the behaviors. Each of these stumbling blocks to communication ought to be tackled head-on in a training program. The presence of this training program will, in the long run, result in an improvement not just in the working conditions of nurses but also in the outcomes for patients.
References
Hampton, D., Tharp‐Barrie, K., & Kay Rayens, M. (2019). Experience of nursing leaders with workplace bullying and how to best cope. Journal of Nursing Management, 27(3), 517-526.
Sanner-Stiehr, E. (2018). Responding to disruptive behaviors in nursing: A longitudinal, quasi-experimental investigation of training for nursing students. Nurse education today, 68, 105-111.
Kaiser, J. A. (2017). The relationship between leadership style and nurse‐to‐nurse incivility: turning the lens inward. Journal of Nursing Management, 25(2), 110-118.
Lewis‐Pierre, L., Anglade, D., Saber, D., Gattamorta, K. A., & Piehl, D. (2019). Evaluating horizontal violence and bullying in the nursing workforce of an oncology academic medical center. Journal of nursing management, 27(5), 1005-1010.
Eka, N. G. A., & Chambers, D. (2019). Incivility in nursing education: A systematic literature review. Nurse education in practice, 39, 45-54.