Leadership, civility, and the 'No Jerks' rule

There are jerks in this world. There are jerks at work. As managers and leaders we are obligated to insure that people have a healthy environment in which they can be nurtured and grow. Patient safety cannot be compromised because we allow jerks to create chaos. This is a serious issue that is very expensive in terms of the toll it takes on people, patients, and the organization. However, there are solutions so we must act. Jerks don't need to be a part of the culture of nursing. Incivility does not need to exist in hospitals and health care facilities. As Carter (1999) notes, the barbarians are truly at the door and this is true of hospitals and of nursing. However, we have the opportunity to change the self-interest behavior of jerks in our communities of caring. That is what leadership is all about.