The lived experiences of faculty-to-faculty nursing incivility
- Julie D. Beyer *
- Collette Loftin
- Priscella Correa
- Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing, Canyon, Texas, United States
Abstract:
Background and objective: Nurses work in a variety of capacities and environments, including hospitals, in community health, outpatient areas, administration, and in education. Nurses’ challenges include heavy workloads and time management issues. Nurses also encounter long work hours, inadequate staffing, and hierarchical pressures that can result in workplace incivility. Workplace incivility can have a significant impact on both new and experienced nurses and lead to high turnover rates. Incivility among faculty members is disruptive and can contribute to the nursing shortage. The purpose of this study is to: (a) explore the personal lived experiences of faculty members regarding faculty-to-faculty nursing incivility, (b) identify the experiences that faculty members attribute to uncivil behavior, and (c) examine the impact of incivility on faculty wellbeing, job satisfaction, and ability to perform their duties. Additionally, this study aimed to identify commonalities in how faculty members experience workplace incivility through interactions with their colleagues.
Methods: This qualitative descriptive study utilized a phenomenological framework to identify the lived experiences of faculty-to-faculty nursing incivility. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 purposefully selected members who met the inclusion criteria. The interviews were conducted during the Spring of 2024 and the data was transcribed and coded for emerging themes.
Results: This study identified five major themes: a toxic work environment, lack of leadership, power imbalance, physical and psychological consequences, and decreased job satisfaction.
Conclusions: Identifying and addressing contributing factors of faculty-to-faculty incivility is necessary for the future of the nursing workforce. Possible recommendations include: providing workshops on communication skills, providing a work-life balance, fostering a supportive environment and establishing a zero-tolerance policy.
- Keywords:
- Bullying; Gas lighting; Horizontal violence; Incivility; Lateral violence
- Received:
- December 17, 2025
- Accepted:
- January 22, 2026
- Published:
- February 24, 2026
- How to cite this article: Julie D. Beyer, Collette Loftin, Priscella Correa. The lived experiences of faculty-to-faculty nursing incivility. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice. 2026;16(2):40-46.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
