In this article, we hope to raise awareness of the existence and consequences of incivility, which we view as a necessary first step in resetting the conversation to the topic of civility. The essential empowering activities for us as nurses are to define, encourage, model, and embed the desired behaviors into our organizations.

We believe that nursing must amplify the national dialogue on creating civil work and learning environments. Nurses can be ambassadors and leaders for change. With more than 3 million nurses in the United States, no other licensed healthcare profession has the potential power that nurses hold as a group. If we could agree upon and unite behind common expectations for how we are treated and how we treat others, we have the ability to change school and workplace interactions.