Work Environment Assessment Result
Generally, incivility is defined as rude or disruptive behavior that causes psychological or physiological distress to those involved. If not addressed, these behaviors may develop into threatening situations or even result in a temporary or permanent illness or injury (Griffin & Clark, 2014). Clark (2015) devised a workplace inventory that individuals and groups within organizations can use to raise awareness, assess the perceived health of an organization, and identify areas for improvement. A scale of 1 to 5 assesses which response most accurately represents your perception of your workplace out of 20 statements. The sum of the values of the reactions determines a civility score is determined by the sum of the values of the responses. As a result of this inventory assessment, my workplace scored 79, which is considered mildly healthy. Communication, celebrating staff achievements, competitive salaries, and retaining and increasing employee satisfaction are still areas my workplace needs to improve.
My Workplace Civility State and Reason
My workplace is mildly healthy based on the workplace inventory. Although there are still some areas of incivility, the majority is quite impressive. We place a high priority on teamwork, employee wellness, and a reasonable workload for our employees. It is a team effort, and someone is always willing to assist overwhelmed nurses. Additionally, the organization has an organized wellness program for its employees. The healthy workplace inventory also identified some weaknesses. It is sometimes difficult to determine which criteria should be used to recognize and celebrate an individual’s achievements. Aside from educational achievements, work-related achievements and contributions should also be considered. Their friends project many of those identified, while many hardworking employees remain unrecognized, even when the leader knows their accomplishments.
It is also surprising that communication is still a problem at my workplace. The result of this is lateral violence at the workplace and workplace mobbing. I find it perplexing how some individuals belittle others through the way they communicate with them. According to Broome and Marshall (2021), when people interact, each brings filters that include attitudes, assumptions, intentions, beliefs, emotional states, physical conditions, history, culture, and experience. Understanding how others respond to one’s communication style is the first step to effective communication. I have always believed that my workplace’s salary structure needs to be reviewed. When compared to other organizations, their salaries are among the lowest.
Incivility Experience in My Workplace
Incivility in the workplace is detrimental, and organizations should take deliberate steps to prevent and eradicate it. Implementing measures to prevent or preempt civility problems is recommended (Griffin & Clark, 2014). I experienced incivility and workplace mopping as a new nurse on my unit. It began with my preceptor, who was uncomfortable orienting me for personal reasons. I was constantly subjected to negative remarks from her, and she displayed a negative attitude toward me. The situation escalated to workplace mopping and emotional bullying. She repeatedly brushed off my attempts to express my feelings, stating that everything was fine. I began to doubt and question my decision at this point. The situation lingered until my preceptorship was taken over by an experienced colleague who spoke on my behalf. Moreover, my preceptor consistently reported something different from what she said in my absence each time we met with my manager. There has been some recent feedback from new graduates that incivility is present, especially during orientation and the early months to years following graduation. In my current position as a charge nurse, I am committed to ending this practice.
Addressing Incivility at the Workplace
Despite the difficulties involved in dealing with uncivil behavior, remaining silent can increase stress, impair performance at work, and, ultimately, jeopardize patient care. There is an increasing need for effective communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills (Clark, 2015). My manager used good conflict resolution techniques to resolve the issue. It was determined that the policy on the consequences of incivility behavior should be reviewed with the Nurses involved. After the nurse who was my voice investigated and reported to the manager, I could express my concerns. With the assistance of the new preceptor, I completed my orientation and gained more knowledge and confidence about myself. The preceptors were reevaluated and given additional training by my manager. In addition, preceptors may now be selected, and a change may be requested if the individual feels uncomfortable with their preceptor. Using cognitive rehearsal and the DESC model approach, I will do my best to prevent anyone from experiencing this unacceptable experience.
Furthermore, it is imperative to understand the nature of workplace incivility and lateral violence to prevent and effectively address the problem. The impact of uncivil treatment on a person’s natural neurobiological state can be felt instantly (Griffin & Clark, 2014).
References
Broome, M., & Marshall, E. S. (2021). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Springer.
Clark, C. M. (2015). Conversations to inspire and promote a more civil workplace. American Nurse Today, 10(11), 18–23. https://doi.org/https://www.myamericannurse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ant11-CE-Civility-1023.pdfLinks to an external site.
Griffin, M., & Clark, C. M. (2014). Revisiting cognitive rehearsal as an intervention against incivility and lateral violence in nursing: 10 Years later. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(12), 535–542. https://doi.org/: 10.3928/00220124-20141122-02Links to an external site.
