Student civility in nursing programs: a national survey

A survey of 611 nursing programs was performed to determine the extent to which certain problematic student behaviors existed in schools of nursing, and how they were being addressed. Participants were also asked about specific behaviors of current students compared with those of 5 years ago. Of the 611 surveys sent to program directors, 2 were undeliverable and 409 responded for a response rate of 67 per cent. The majority of respondents (48.8 per cent) were from associate degree programs, followed by baccalaureate degree (43.9 per cent), and diploma programs (7 per cent). Three disruptive behaviors were identified by all respondents: inattentiveness in class, attendance problems, and lateness. Objectionable physical contact between students and instructors were identified by 24.8 per cent, and verbal abuse toward instructors in the clinical setting by 42.8 per cent. Demographic variables examined in terms of their relationship to the behaviors included type of program, nursing program size, size of the parent institution, geographic region, location of program, and sponsorship of program. Administrators in different types of educational programs and from various geographic locations reported problematic student behaviors with high frequency. Identifying strategies for handling disruptive behaviors and assistance in implementing them is recommended along with a national forum to discuss the issue.