Incivility in nursing: causes, consequences, and workplace costs

¶ … Incivility in the Nursing Profession

Incivility refers to offensive action, hostile behaviors and intimidation of other co-workers with a heath care environment. Typically, such behavior can jeopardize the effectiveness of nursing setting and professional practice. In a health care environment, incivility is expensive and has become an increased dilemma. Typically, incivility has become a business issue and expensive because nursing professional can suffer from anxiety, increased stress, sleeplessness, depression, embarrassment and anger. Moreover, incivility can lead to sickness, low productivity and consequently lead to lawsuit.

Objective of this paper is explore the incivility within the nursing profession.

"Incivility in the Nursing Profession"

In the last few years, the incivility has gained a lot of attention within the health care environment. Typically, approximately 96% of nursing workforce admit of experiencing one form of incivility. Reich and Hershcovis (2015) argue that incivility can lead to disruptive behaviors within nursing environment, which can consequently lead to medical errors and lead to poor patient's satisfaction. By consequence, the incivility can be detrimental and affect the quality of health care delivery.

Typically, workplace incivility within the nursing profession can lead to a high stress among nurses, which can hinder communication among nurses.Typically, incivility can undermine patient's satisfaction and safety, and can consequently lead to devastating effects in a health care environment. Moreover, incivility can undermine culture of safety leading an environment of hostility within a nursing profession. Moreover, incivility can lead to a poor job satisfaction.

Hunt & Marini (2012) contribute to the argument by pointing out that incivility can lead to an intimidation of employee, dissatisfaction, job stress, greater psychological distress as well as substance abuse. The author further argues that eating disorder, headache, and depression have also been identified as the costs of incivility. In essence, incivility can have an impact on nurses' interpersonal relationship as well as poor cooperation among nursing practitioners.

Cortina, (2008) identifies a decline in work performances as the cost of incivility. The results of the survey carried out by the author reveal that 66% of employee agreed that incivility was a factor that declined work performances. Moreover, 78% of employee surveyed admitted that incivility decreased work commitment. Additionally, 80% of employees agreed that incivility reduced work commitments. Additionally, a health care environment characterized by incivility can make nurses feeling betrayed, angry, dismay, and frustrated . Moreover, the incivility can lead to a nursing shortage and conflicting nursing workforce.

The costs of incivility can increase when taking into an account expenses that have been associated to managing of the incivility such as the costs of consulting attorneys, hiring, recruiting and training of new employees. The lost of productivity that leads to incivility of nursing profession can reach $11,581 per nurse yearly.

"Decreased productivity can occur following incidents of incivility, bullying, or workplace violence. Employee retention can also become more difficult." (ANA Board of Directors, 2015 p 5).

Clark (2008) links bullying to incivility because it is associated to anti-social behaviors such as harassment, aggression, and low level of interpersonal relationships. It is essential to realize that bullying can lead to an unhealthy work relationships among nursing professionals, and the issue can lead to a decline in quality of health care delivery. Luparell (2008) supports the argument of the previous authors by pointing out that the incivility has a considerable price. In a health care environment, the incivility can lead to negative effects, emotional and negative disengagements among workers. Additionally, incivility can lead to a decline in leadership's trust, and decrease the productivity among nursing professionals.

Recommendations to Address Incivility in a Nursing Profession

Clark (2008) argues that a health care organization needs to develop strategies to reduce incivility within the nursing professional environments. Different strategies should be employed to reduce or eliminate the incivility in a nursing profession. First, a health care organization should develop code of ethics that all nurses should follow. Moreover, there should be a training or workshop to make all nursing professionals develop strategies of avoiding incivility within a health care environment.

Moreover, a health care management should design the organizational culture that will reduce the incivility. The management structure should be designed in a way that will enhance socialization, mutual relationships and environment of trusts among nurses.

Conclusion