Effects of Incivility Training on Unlicensed Assistive Personnel's Perception of Uncivil Behavior in the Workplace

Abstract

Problem: Incivility is an important issue in nursing because it can negatively impact both workplace relationships and patient care. The healthcare environment is stressful with complex interpersonal relationships. It is a high-stakes environment where people need to make quick decisions that affect others’ care in sometimes difficult situations. Tempers can escalate in these stressful situations causing curt, uncivil, and even hurtful remarks between healthcare providers. Incivility in the workplace can lead to unsafe patient care due to poor staff communication and missed care activities. An interprofessional team approach is required to provide safe patient care. All members of the healthcare team, including unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), should work in an environment free from incivility to provide quality patient care. Since UAP provide direct patient care, the impact of incivility on UAP should be examined. UAP are integral members of the healthcare team who also value healthy working relationships where colleagues treat each other with respect and dignity. However, the impact incivility has on UAP in acute care settings remains relatively unknown in nursing practice. Project Aim: The aim for this quality improvement project is to determine the effects of incivility training on UAP’s perception of uncivil behavior in the workplace. Project Method: Forty-one UAP employed in the float pool department at an academic medical center were invited to participate. Participation comprised of completing the Nursing Incivility Scale (NIS) instrument, attending an incivility training 2-hour class, and then retaking the Nursing Incivility Scale instrument after the training class. Nineteen UAP completed the NIS instrument, 9 UAP attended an incivility training class, and 8 of the 9 class attendees completed the post-class NIS instrument. Project Results: UAP perceive incivility in their workplace. They perceive uncivil behavior directed at them and observe incivility between other healthcare providers. Effects of incivility training suggest a slightly better understanding and general awareness of workplace incivility. Project Conclusion: Incivility continues to be a problem in hospitals; therefore, more investigation is needed to understand UAP perception of incivility, including how incivility training affects their perception. Increasing organizational knowledge of UAP perception of incivility will help to fill this gap in the nursing literature. UAP are integral members of the healthcare team and are vital to promoting a healthy work environment that is free from incivility.