Adapting Civility Education in an Academic-Practice Partnership

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Workplace incivility negatively impacts nurses, leading to burnout, reduced job performance, and compromised patient safety.
• An academic-practice partnership developed educational initiatives to foster organizational civility amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the adaptation of a civility educational activity to a virtual format.
• To assess participants' comfort levels in engaging with and responding to incivility after the virtual training.

Main Methods:

• A face-to-face educational program was transitioned to a synchronous online format for 75 nurses, nursing students, and healthcare professionals.
• The virtual event utilized cognitive rehearsal, breakout rooms, simulation videos, group debriefs, and panel discussions via Zoom and Mentimeter.

Main Results:

• Significant pre-test to post-test improvements were observed in Workplace Civility Index scores.
• While 72% of participants were uncomfortable with gossip, only 30% reported comfort in responding to incivility.

Conclusions:

• Virtual education platforms, incorporating cognitive rehearsal and reflection, can enhance civility awareness for current and future nurses.
• The findings suggest a need for continued strategies to improve nurses' confidence in addressing incivility in the workplace.