Running head: FACULTY INCIVILITY

Faculty-to-Faculty Incivility: A Threat to the Nursing Profession

Ellice C. Hayek
Youngstown State University

Abstract
The nursing profession places great value on integrity, ethics, compassion, and advocacy for the
well-being of others. However, rude and uncivil acts have been reported among nurse faculty
members within the academic setting. This behavior, known as faculty-to-faculty incivility has
serious ramifications on nurse educator service, teaching, scholarship, and faculty relations
within the academic setting (Clark, 2013). Unless deliberate action is taken, the growth of
nursing as a profession is at risk.

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Faculty-to-Faculty Incivility: A Threat to the Nursing Profession

The nursing profession places emphasis on integrity, ethics, compassion, and advocacy
for the well-being of others. However, although unfortunate, it must be acknowledged that a lack
of integrity, unkind words, and purposeful acts of sabotage exist among nurse educators within
the academic setting. This distasteful behavior, otherwise known as faculty-to-faculty incivility,
is an often avoided yet serious topic with detrimental consequences (Clark, 2013). The purpose
of this paper is to define faculty-to-faculty incivility, and discuss its impact on service, teaching,
scholarship, and faculty relations within the academic setting. Last, brief suggestions to resolve
the issue are provided.
Faculty-to-Faculty Incivility
Incivility is defined as an impolite, rude, or uncivil act (Incvility, n.d.). Incivility, if
ignored, has the potential to escalate into acts of physical violence and/or aggression (Clark,
2013). Faculty-to-faculty incivility is the presence of such behaviors amongst educators within
an academic setting (Clark, 2013). As to be expected, such behavior creates a negative
environment and has a devastating impact on nurse educator service, teaching, scholarship, and
faculty relations.
Service
Service in education is imperative to the growth of nursing as a profession. Service in
education is divided into three categories; service to the department/academic setting, service to
the profession, and service to the community. Examples of service to the department/academic
setting include student advising, or participation in organizations and committees. Service to the
profession involves serving as a clinical mentor, and assisting with continuing education
programs. Service to the community includes providing health information to the public, or

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speaking at events (Smith, 2012). Unfortunately, faculty-to-faculty incivility may impact nurse
educator involvement in any one of these necessary categories, placing development of the
profession at risk. Such detrimental impacts of faculty-to-faculty incivility may be observed
through the accounts documented in a qualitative study by Heinrich (2007). Educators have
reported being humiliated during academic committee meetings, and contemplating avoiding
participation in public events out of fear of coworkers hating them for their accomplishments
(Heinrich, 2007).
Teaching
A passion for teaching others is one of the many reasons clinical nurses transition into the
academic setting. When that passion is defused, retention of educators is at risk. This is a
damaging event, especially during a time when increased admissions is necessary to address the
impending nursing shortage (Heinrich, 2007). Faculty-to-faculty incivility, such as physical
violence, and verbal abuse plays a detrimental role in deterring nurses from staying, or entering
the academic setting. Educators have reported events such as faculty members biting one
another, hurtful comments involving race and age, belittled for having their doctorate of nurse
practice degree (rather than a PhD), mean facial expressions, and rude silent gestures (Clark,
2013; Heinrich, 2007).
Scholarship
Scholarship is defined as activities that advance the research, teaching, and practice
components of nursing through a process that is creative, significant to the profession, and
subjected to replication, documentation, and peer review (Smith, 2012). Scholarship in nurse
education is not an easy task to accomplish. It takes time, courage, and the guidance of faculty
peer mentors. Faculty-to-faculty incivility strips away the praise that promotes courage, and
provides minimal support due to a lack of mentoring. As a result, achievement of scholarship by
nurse educators suffers. Nurse educators have reported circumstances in which their scholarship

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work was belittled, sabotaged and therefore ruined, and worst of all, stolen (Clark. 2013;
Heinrich, 2007)
Faculty Relations
Strong faculty relationships have the potential to create an environment filled with
excitement for academic accomplishments (Heinrich, 2007). However, faculty-to-faculty
incivility prevents the development of such connections. Nurse educators have reported
circumstances where other faculty members do not greet one another when crossing paths, being
told they may not attend certain meetings, cliques being formed, lacking support from a faculty
member they value deeply, and being degraded in front of students (Clark, 2013; Heinrich,
2007). In a community lacking collaboration, any type of academic growth is unlikely; a truly
detrimental position for nursing as a profession.
Suggestions to Resolve
Faculty-to-faculty incivility will remain until deliberate action is taken. To reduce
faculty-to-faculty incivility, Clark (2013) suggests a number of strategies such as establishing a
strong leader, fostering communication and awareness about the issue, using tools to assess for
the existence of incivility, and developing policies to decrease its presence.
Conclusion
Faculty-to-faculty incivility exists. As represented by personal accounts, its impact on
nurse educator service, teaching, scholarship, and faculty relations is detrimental. Unless
acknowledged and dealt with, the growth of nursing as a profession is at risk. Through simple
strategies suggested by Clark (2013), there is hope that the presence of faculty-to-faculty
incivility may decrease.

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References
Clark, C. (2013). National study on faculty-to-faculty incivility: Strategies to foster collegiality
and civility. Nurse Educator, 38(3), 98-102. doi: 10.1097/NNE.0b013e31828dc1b2
Heinrich, K. T. (2007). Joy stealing: 10 mean games faculty play and how to stop the gaming.
Nurse Educator, 32(1), 34-38. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17220766
Incivility. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/incivility
Smith, M. H. (2012). The legal, professional, and ethical dimensions of education in nursing (2nd
ed). New York, NY. Springer Publishing Company.