Testing a Model of Civility in Three Service Lines of Acute Care

Sunday, April 14, 2013: 10:50 AM

John W. Nelson, RN, MS
Research Administration, Healthcare Environment, Inc, St. Paul, MN
Ann Marie Papa, DNP, RN, CEN, NE-BC, FAEN
Emergency Nursing, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadephia, PA
Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN
Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA

Learning Objective 1: Identify dimensions of civility.

Learning Objective 2: List some interventions to stop bullying and enhance civility.

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess a model of civility proposed by the concepts proposed by Kathleen Bartholomew.

Methods: The model was tested in three service lines at the University of Pennsylvania hospital, including Women’s Services, Periop, and Emergency Services. Civility is characterized by a culture of respect among a team that automatically polices itself to inhibit and extinguish any single act of cruelty, slight, or diminishment of another. Civility was assessed using the 87-item Civility Assessment which is based on the concepts of civility proposed by Kathleen Bartholomew. The Civility Assessment examines the 17 concepts that comprise the construct of Civility.

Results: supported the model proposed for this study, including education in civility is a key predictor of civility and civility results in greater satisfaction with workload and less risk for burnout.

Discussion: Resultant data will be used by staff of all three service lines to identify the strengths and vulnerabilities of culture of civility within each respective area of care. Based on the data, Kathleen Bartholomew, theorist, expert, and author of the construct of Civility will provide an educational session for all staff within the three service lines for the purpose of refining civility within the University of Pennsylvania hospital.