Date of Conferral

2-26-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Nursing

Advisor

Patricia Senk

Abstract

Incivility in nursing has become a chronic issue that harms nurses, patients, teams, and organizations. Individuals often feel belittled, which contributes to frequent job dissatisfaction and resignation, ultimately resulting in financial losses for an organization. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study, guided by Johnson’s behavioral model, was to explore nurses’ perceptions about incivility in a medical-surgical hospital setting. Ten semistructured audio-recorded interviews were conducted with registered nurses recruited through a professional organization. The data were manually transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Saldana’s approach. Results indicated four themes: (a) workplace culture and interpersonal dynamics, (b) need for support and mentorship, (c) self-advocacy and boundary-setting, and (d) advocacy for systemic change and dedication to patient care. Findings showed that incivility does exist in hospital settings and creates a hostile work environment for nurses, inhibiting their ability to do their job, thereby putting patients at risk for medical error and dissatisfaction. Future research could include studying the dimensions of incivility. The findings of this research could have potential implications for positive social change by facilitating an organization’s ability to establish a zero-tolerance environment and improving quality patient care outcomes. Additionally, organizations may provide educational opportunities to increase nurses’ awareness and recognition of incivility, paving the way for individuals to potentially effect positive social change in their encounters with incivility, which could, in turn, foster positive social change within the organization.

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