Factors contributing to incivility amongst students at a South African nursing school

BACKGROUND: This study determined the experiences of nurse educators of the factors contributing to the uncivil classroom behaviours of nursing students at a South African school of nursing. OBJECTIVE: To describe what nurse educators consider to be factors contributing to incivility among nursing students in a South African nursing school. METHOD: A qualitative descriptive design was used. Eleven nurse educators were purposively sampled for their experiences on the factors contributing to incivility. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted until data saturation. RESULTS: The data analysed indicated that the educators had varying but often similar perspectives on which factors contribute to incivility among nursing students. The three themes that emerged from the data were academic, psycho-pathological and social factors. The themes were discussed on the basis of their reported impact on classroom behaviour and the implications for the teaching and learning environment. CONCLUSION: Conclusions were made that an educational screening system to identify committed students before admission into nursing education should be explored; that a support system should be explored for nurse educators to deal with incidents of uncivil behaviour, perhaps within policy frameworks in the nursing institution; that emotional support should be provided for students who may be experiencing difficulties adjusting to the rigours of post-secondary education; and that a forum should be set up for nurse educators to compare notes and share ideas on what works best in reducing the incidence of uncivil behaviours in the classroom setting.