Educational Intervention Improves Communication Abilities of Nurses Encountering Workplace Incivility

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Behavior
• Workplace Violence Prevention

Background:

• Incivility, lateral/horizontal violence, and bullying persist in nursing.
• Disruptive behaviors negatively impact the nursing profession.
• Educational strategies are crucial for addressing and mitigating these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an e-learning educational activity in reducing nursing incivility.
• To improve dialogue, interpersonal engagement, and behavioral change among nurses.
• To enhance nurses' comfort levels during critical conversations.

Main Methods:

• A pretest/posttest quasiexperimental mixed-methods design was employed.
• The Workplace Civility Index (WCI) was utilized to measure intervention outcomes.
• An asynchronous, provider-directed, learner-paced e-learning module was implemented.

Main Results:

• The experimental group showed a significant improvement in WCI scores post-intervention (p < .00001).
• The control group experienced a significant decrease in WCI scores.
• All participants in the experimental group successfully applied positive conflict management strategies.

Conclusions:

• The e-learning intervention demonstrated efficacy in decreasing incivility among nurses.
• The study supports the use of online education to increase comfort during critical conversations.
• Further research is recommended, but findings suggest a valuable tool for nursing professional development.