Taking a closer look at incivility in undergraduate nursing education: A narrative review of student-to-faculty incivility
Research Poster Health & Life Sciences 2025 Graduate ExhibitionPresentation by Rebecca Weaver
Exhibition Number 59
Abstract
Background: Incivility is a complex, multifaceted issue plaguing schools of nursing. Incivility may cause faculty to question their role as an educator, which can lower faculty recruitment and retention. Purpose: To synthesize current research in undergraduate nursing education surrounding incivility in undergraduate nursing education, particularly student-to-faculty incivility in the didactic setting. Methods: Five databases and retrieved articles' references lists were searched for articles published after 2018 and written in English. Inclusion criteria included those related to student-to-faculty incivility, undergraduate nursing educational settings, and in-person academic environments, not virtual or web-based incivility. Results: Thematic analysis identified four key themes described throughout the literature: (1) Types of incivility, (2) Causes of and influences on incivility, (3) Consequences of incivility, and (4) Strategies for addressing and mitigating incivility. Conclusions: Incivility is contrary to the Nursing Code of Ethics and may tarnish the public’s perception that nursing is the most trusted profession. Incivility also persists into professional practice. To improve student-to-faculty civility, codes of conduct can be established, and faculty should role model professionalism. Addressing incivility and promoting civility may decrease psychological and physiological consequences of student-to-faculty incivility, thus improving the health and wellness of faculty and students in the educational setting.
Importance
Undergraduate nursing student incivility toward undergraduate nursing faculty may have many negative outcomes, such as increased stress and anxiety for faculty as well as a loss of confidence in their teaching ability. This may lead to faculty leaving their professional roles. With the national nursing shortage in the United States, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing recommends making an effort to increase nursing student enrollment and retention. There is also currently a nursing faculty shortage, which is a contributing factor to the inability to increase nursing student enrollment. With negative outcomes of undergraduate nursing student incivility affecting faculty, recruitment and retention of undergraduate nursing faculty may also suffer.