Incivility from Undergraduate Nursing Students in the United Kingdom.

Abstract

There is growing evidence that under-graduate nursing students are demonstrating inappropriate and uncivil behaviour towards academics which is also reported as harassment and contra-power harassment. Harassment is unwanted behaviour which an individual finds offensive or which makes them feel intimidated or humiliated and unwanted behaviours include verbal or written words of abuse such as offensive emails, comments on social media network sites, stalking and sexually motivated behaviours. Contra-power harassment is defined as the harassment of individuals in formal positions of power and authority by those that are not. One of the most cited reasons for inappropriate behaviour by undergraduate students is related to grading of course work and course progression, but literature relating to what extent this is occurring towards nurse academics is nominal.