Implementation of an Evidence-Based Education Intervention to Mitigate Incivility Among Nursing Leaders

Abstract

The organization of focus for this initiative is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Comprehensive Cancer Hospital that is part of a large Midwestern Academic Medical Center. At this organization, stressors that were incurred through the pandemic led to the deterioration of relationships between two groups of nursing leaders, the Administrative Nursing Supervisors (ANS) and the unit leaders (ULs). Communication between these leaders had become uncivil and disruptive to the organization. After reviewing the literature, it was determined that an educational intervention utilizing a TeamSTEPPS® approach in conjunction with cognitive rehearsal was an effective way to mitigate incivility. The two groups of leaders participated in an in-person Civility Training which demonstrated success in meeting the project objectives of raising awareness of incivility and reducing the number of escalated concerns that couldn’t be resolved between a unit leader and an ANS. The project objectives were measured by administering the Clark Workplace Civility Index to the participants pre and post intervention which demonstrated a statistically significant improvement at p<0.05 after the intervention. The second objective was measured by comparing a baseline of five escalated uncivil interactions a week pre-intervention to post, which decreased to two or less per week. The implications of this initiative indicate that Civility Training can have a positive impact on civility between nursing leaders, which could be beneficial in all areas of nursing.A three-year embargo was granted for this item