Nursing educators’ perception of disruptive behaviors in the professional work environment: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION: Disruptive behaviors among nursing educators are a globally recognized problem. They have detrimental effects on nursing educators, the nursing profession, students and patients. This study aimed to explore nursing educators' experiences with disruptive behaviors in the professional work environment. METHODS: The current study was conducted in 2019 and used a qualitative content analysis approach. Participants were selected purposely from nursing schools. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews with 20 nursing educators, and then analyzed according to the Graneheim and Lundman method. RESULTS: Through analysis of the transcribed interviews, 4 categories and 10 subcategories were extracted. The categories include disrespectful interactions, inaccurate feedback on work performance, low acceptance in the clinical setting and perceived unfairness. CONCLUSION: Disruptive behaviors among nursing educators can affect professionalism as well as the quality of education provided by them. Therefore, considering factors that lead to disruptive behaviors in the professional work environment is necessary.