Incivility is a problem that has been haunting the nursing profession for years. It is a daily reality for millions of advanced nurse practitioners (Lachman, 2014). Many situations leading to incivility could have been effectively prevented. The best evidence-based strategies for creating a healthy work environment include the provision of nurse supervisor support, cognitive rehearsal, and training with education to prevent workplace violence. A healthy work environment will provide optimal conditions for pursuing continuous improvement and delivering patient-centered care.

Incivility is an everyday challenge for many nurses. It can be defined as “rude or disruptive behaviors that often result in psychological or physiological distress for the people involved, … and if left unaddressed, these behaviors may progress into threatening situations” (Griffin & Clark, 2014, p. 536). Incivility may manifest as rude comments, sarcasm, or the use of offensive language (Lachman, 2014). Once I witnessed how a senior nurse was using offensive language with my colleague, telling her that she did not deserve any promotion because she was “just too educated and advanced” for that type of job. She was making sarcastic comments about my colleague’s degrees. As I assumed, she was also mocking her willingness to continue education toward an advanced degree. I could not understand why education suddenly became an issue. I could only assume that the nurse wanted to show a negative attitude and reinforce her superior position in the unit.

Frankly speaking, I felt powerless as I was witnessing the situation. I understood that I had to respond, but I did not know how to do it. Eventually, I approached the victimized nurse and lied that someone was waiting for her on the phone. I wanted to save her from any further attacks. Later, I contacted the unit supervisor to share the story and asked for a meeting with nurses to discuss the situation. I thought that we had to develop a program that would help reduce the scope of incivility in our organization.

Researchers agree that workplace incivility differs from bullying or violence: it is less intense and more ambiguous (Griffin & Clark, 2014; Schilpzand, Pater, & Erez, 2016). Nevertheless, it can cause considerable emotional, physical, and organizational harm. Within days after the incident, the nurse who had previously experienced emotional violence quitted the job. At that moment, I thought that incivility could increase nurse turnover on the unit. I felt the frustration of other nurses who understood that they would have to follow a similar path if they faced the same level of intimidation and aggression. The atmosphere could be described as that of suspicion and silence. Nurses kept discussing the job and career opportunities available from hospitals and private physician offices nearby.

The situation could have been prevented if nurses had followed the basic norms of behavior and if the hospital had had policies in place to minimize aggression and emotional violence in the workplace. Many healthcare facilities have successfully implemented cognitive rehearsal techniques to teach nurses how to manage workplace conflicts and maintain functional relationships with colleagues (Griffin & Clark, 2014). Teaching and education, coupled with supervisor support, can provide an environment for continuous improvement and productive work (Kief, Brouwer, Francke, & Delnoij, 2014). The creation of a healthy work environment is one of the top priorities for healthcare providers (Anonymous, n.d.). It is an environment where nurses can operate to their full potential while being completely satisfied with their work (Kieft et al., 2014).

One of the best strategies for creating a healthy work environment is promoting zero tolerance to aggression and setting explicit behavior norms that can minimize the risks of incivility in the workplace (Griffin & Clark, 2014). Equally important is holding open and frank discussions of organizational and workplace issues that might potentially lead to conflicts. Overall, a healthy work environment is always a product of a well-established organizational culture that fosters effective communication, relationship building, and patient-centered attitudes on a day-to-day basis.

In conclusion, incivility can have particularly negative consequences for nurses and healthcare facilities. Unfortunately, it is still an issue facing thousands of nurse practitioners. Creating a healthy work environment should be a primary matter for all health providers. Nurses must have an opportunity to realize their clinical potential and derive satisfaction from their work.