Has anyone ever been rude to you at work? A mixed-methods exploration of incivility in the physiotherapy profession

Incivility has negative consequences for healthcare professionals, healthcare organizations and patient care. There is limited understanding about the effect of incivility within physiotherapy.

The purpose of this study was to explore the views and experiences of physiotherapists regarding incivility.

A convergent mixed-methods approach was utilized via a cross-sectional survey. 339 participants completed the survey which included the Workplace Incivility Scale. A moderated regression model was fit to understand if, and how, band and gender interact as it pertains to incivility. Open-ended responses were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Workplace incivility scale responses revealed that Band 5 males experience higher levels of incivility than select other groups. Specifically, band 5 males perceived higher levels of incivility than band 6 females t(326) = -3.39, p = .018, band 7 females t(326) = -3.42, p = .016, band 6 males t(326) = -3.52, p = .011, and band 8 males t(326) = -3.11, p = .043. Thematic analysis of 179 open question responses led to four themes:1) the complexity of healthcare work at the root of incivility in physiotherapy practice;2) manifestations of incivility in the workplace; 3)the negative impact of incivility on individuals and organizations; and 4) addressing and mitigating incivility.

The novel findings of this study have revealed that incivility affects physiotherapists across the spectrum of their career and has a negative impact on them professionally and personally.