Why Civility Matters

Cynthia M. Clark, Boise State University

Abstract

In the first installment of this series, I told the story of my experience with faculty incivility while a young nursing student. I have learned many lessons since then, and one of the most important is the critical role nurses play in creating a culture of civility and respect in nursing education and clinical practice.

Since education and practice are inextricably linked, all members of the nursing community share responsibility for creating and sustaining cultures of civility. My purpose in this article is to describe incivility and its impact on nursing, discuss why civility matters and present myriad rationale for cultivating civility in the nursing profession.