Association Between Nurses’ Experiences of Workplace Incivility and Caring Responsibilities: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Study Aim To examine the association between workplace incivility and caring responsibilities among hospital nurses. Methods A cross-sectional design was utilized. A convenience sampling technique was used, and 1,378 nurses from 10 hospitals in Jordan participated. Questionnaires on workplace incivility and Caring Dimensions Inventory were administered to the participants. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a two-model multiple linear regression. Results Workplace incivility was significantly and negatively correlated with nurses’ caring responsibilities r (1,376) = .10, p =< .001. The total mean score of reported incivility was 23.92 (SD = 10.06), ranging between 12 and 60. The regression model showed that caring responsibilities significantly predicted lower experiences of workplace incivility among hospital nurses ( β = −0.185, p < .00), holding the effect of nurses’ characteristics constant. Conclusions Nurses reported low incivility behaviors from coworkers or supervisors during the prior year at work. Nurses’ experience of workplace incivility was weakly associated with their caring responsibilities toward patients. Nursing management needs to address workplace incivility and caring responsibilities among nurses. Interventions to improve nursing care responsibilities could help reduce incivility among nurses, such as therapeutic communication skills.