Incivility and Professional Comportment in Critical Care Nurses

Civility among critical care nurses is important for achieving positive patient outcomes. Professional comportment refers to nurse behaviors that are respectful, knowledgeable, deliberate, and compassionate.

To examine the relationship between perceptions of nurse-to-nurse incivility and professional comportment among critical care nurses, and the extent to which nurse characteristics influence their perceptions.

Data were collected from nurses in 14 critical care units. Correlational analysis examined the relationship between nurses’ perceptions of nurse-to-nurse incivility and professional comportment. Regression analysis was used to identify predictors of nurse-to-nurse incivility.

Decreased perceptions of nurse-to-nurse incivility were associated with increased perceptions of professional comportment. Nurses’ reports of receiving education about professional comportment was a significant predictor of increased nurse perceptions of professional comportment.

Professional comportment education for critical care nurses is important and may provide an option to decrease incivility and promote healthy work environments for nurses.