The Italian validation of the revised Incivility in Nursing Education survey: preliminary results

• Published in: European journal of public health 2020-09, Vol.30 (Supplement_5)
• Main Authors: Unim, B, Santini, M, Gambale, G, Chiarini, M, Nicoli, M, De Vito, C, Cattaruzza, M S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Codes of conduct; College students; Colleges & universities; Education; Emotions; Internet; Italian language; Learning; Monitoring; Nursing; Nursing education; Policies; Polls & surveys; Public health; Quality of education; Students; Teaching; Tolerance; Training; Validity; Working conditions
• ISSN: 1101-1262; 1464-360X
• DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.653

Abstract Background Incivility in nursing education is defined as rude or disruptive behaviors that can result into psychological or physiological distress for the people involved. Therefore, academic nursing incivility may seriously impact the nursing profession. The revised Incivility in Nursing Education (INE-R) is a validated instrument to measure academic incivility, but it is not available in Italian language. The aim of the study is to translate and validate the INE-R survey instrument with an Italian sample. Methods The Italian version of the INE-R survey was piloted for content and general linguistic clarity. It is currently administered online to nursing faculty (NF) and nursing students (NS) of Sapienza University of Rome. The survey explores uncivil behaviors and their frequency of occurrence among NF and NS. It also collects suggestions for improving the level of academic civility. Results To date, 33 responders (8 NF and 25 NS) have completed the survey, of which 45,5% consider incivility in their department a moderate problem. A common NF uncivil behavior was canceling class without warning (39%), while arriving late for class was common among NS (40%). The top strategies to improve the level of civility in nursing education are the adoption of codes of conduct that define acceptable and unacceptable behaviors (39%) and the provision of training for effective communication and conflict negotiation (33%). The main consequences of incivility in nursing education are inappropriate teaching practice and poor quality education (54,5%). Conclusions Incivility in nursing education negatively affects teaching-learning process and can lead to emotional, or physical distress for faculty staff and students. There is therefore a need for specific policies and continuous monitoring on academic incivility to guarantee a healthy work and study environment. It is important to raise awareness among students and faculty while adopting zero-tolerance policy regarding incivility. Key messages Incivility in nursing education negatively affects teaching-learning process and can lead to emotional, or physical distress for the individuals involved. There is a need for specific policies and continuous monitoring on academic incivility to guarantee a healthy work environment.