The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Dissertations Fall 12-2016 Faculty-to-Faculty Incivility as Perceived by Nursing Faculty Melinda Lofton Sills University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations Part of the Educational Psychology Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, Nursing Administration Commons, and the Other Nursing Commons Recommended Citation Sills, Melinda Lofton, "Faculty-to-Faculty Incivility as Perceived by Nursing Faculty" (2016). Dissertations. 900. https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/900 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FACULTY-TO-FACULTY INCIVILITY AS PERCEIVED BY NURSING FACULTY by Melinda Kay Lofton Sills A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School and the Department of Systems Leadership and Health Outcomes at The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Approved: _________________________________________ Dr. Kathleen Masters, Committee Chair Professor, Collaborative Nursing Practice _________________________________________ Dr. Janie Butts, Committee Member Professor, Systems Leadership and Health Outcomes _________________________________________ Dr. Bonnie Harbaugh, Committee Member Professor, Systems Leadership and Health Outcomes _________________________________________ Dr. Melanie Gilmore, Committee Member Associate Professor, Advanced Practice _________________________________________ Dr. Richard Mohn, Committee Member Associate Professor, Educational Studies and Research _________________________________________ Dr. Karen S. Coats Dean of the Graduate School December 2016 COPYRIGHT BY Melinda Kay Lofton Sills 2016 Published by the Graduate School ABSTRACT FACULTY-TO-FACULTY INCIVILITY AS PERCEIVED BY NURSING FACULTY by Melinda Kay Lofton Sills December 2016 The purpose of this research was to determine the perceived presence of workplace incivility among nursing faculty in associate, baccalaureate, and graduate nursing programs and whether there was a significant difference between workplace incivility behaviors, occurrence of incivility, extent of incivility, and engagement of incivility among the three groups. A convenience sample of faculty from nursing programs accredited by Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, and Tennessee completed the Incivility in Nursing Education-Revised (INE-R) survey. The final sample included 169 nursing faculty. Based on the results of the study faculty in associate, baccalaureate, and graduate nursing programs recognize faculty-to-faculty incivility with 80% reporting incivility as a problem in their program. Statistical analysis revealed there was not a significant difference between workplace incivility behaviors, occurrence of incivility, extent of incivility, and engagement of incivility among the three groups. The most highly rated faculty incivility behaviors included making condescending or rude remarks, exerting superiority, abusing position, or rank, making discriminating comments, making rude gestures or nonverbal behaviors, and sending inappropriate or rude emails. The highest rated behavior occurring ii in the prior 12 months included using a computer, phone, or another media device in faculty meetings, committee meetings, other work activities for unrelated purposes. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express the deepest appreciation to my committee chair, Dr. Kathleen Masters, who has been an invaluable mentor. Without her practical advice, supportive guidance, persistent help, and enduring encouragement this dissertation would not have been possible. I would also like to thank my committee members Dr. Janie Butts and Dr. Bonnie Harbaugh for their commitment to supporting nursing research and sharing their expertise throughout the doctoral program. Thank you to Dr. Melanie Gilmore and Dr. Richard Mohn for the advice and feedback, your perspectives and guidance helped to strengthen my research. iv DEDICATION I dedicate my dissertation work to my family. My husband, Ben, has been a constant source of support and encouragement during the challenges of graduate school and life. I am truly thankful for having you in my life. This work is also dedicated to my children, Bentley, Layton, Lofton, and Baylor. I am stronger and more fulfilled because of each of you. I pray I have been an example by showing you with hard work and dedication you can achieve anything. A special dedication to my parents, Douglas and Iva Pearl Lofton, without their support and love throughout my life I would not be the person I am. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...........................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................................................iv DEDICATION ....................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................. xii CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement ........................................................................................ 4 Purpose ......................................................................................................... 5 Theoretical Framework .................................................................................. 5 Research Questions ...................................................................................... 8 Definition of Terms ........................................................................................ 9 Assumptions ................................................................................................ 10 Limitations ................................................................................................... 10 Scope and Delimitations .............................................................................. 11 Significance of the Study ............................................................................. 11 Summary ..................................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER II – REVIEW OF LITERATURE..................................................... 14 Review of Literature .................................................................................... 14 vi Antecedents to Incivility ............................................................................... 18 Nursing Faculty Incivility .............................................................................. 20 Faculty Behaviors that Represent Nursing Faculty Incivility ........................ 21 Factors that Contribute to Nursing Faculty Incivility ..................................... 25 Negative Outcomes of Nursing Faculty Incivility .......................................... 26 Consequences of Incivility ........................................................................... 38 Incivility in Nursing Education Revised (INE-R) Survey ............................... 41 Summary ..................................................................................................... 48 CHAPTER III – METHODOLOGY ................................................................... 50 Methodology ................................................................................................ 50 Protection of Human Subjects ..................................................................... 50 Population and Sample ............................................................................... 51 Sampling ..................................................................................................... 52 Procedure .................................................................................................... 52 Participant Information ................................................................................ 53 Research Design ......................................................................................... 53 Instrumentation ............................................................................................ 55 Item Development ....................................................................................... 56 Reliability of Instrument ............................................................................... 59 Validity of Instrument ................................................................................... 64 vii Data Analysis .............................................................................................. 67 Summary ..................................................................................................... 69 CHAPTER IV – DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS ........................................ 70 Data Analysis .............................................................................................. 70