Application of an empowerment model to improve civility in nursing education

Incivility within nursing education presents clear challenges to both students and faculty. The consequences of incivility extend beyond the educational process and into practice, thereby creating an urgent need for a framework that can guide faculty in the efforts to improve and maintain civility in nursing education. This article reviews the complex problem of incivility in nursing education and utilizes evidence in the application of an empowerment model (Worrell et al., 1996) as a framework to set the standard of civility and one that will guide intervention in the unfortunate event that incivility occurs. The strategies that are presented are supported with current evidence and organized within the model components of communication, collegiality, autonomy and accountability.