Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Introduction: Incivility in nursing education, including bullying and lateral violence, undermines student success and contributes to faculty turnover. The Joint Commission [1] found greater than 50% of registered nurses and nursing students reported verbal abuse. Although widely documented, most interventions address incivility reactively rather than through primary prevention. Foreman [2] explains incivility in nursing students as an epidemiological triangle with the nursing student as the susceptible host. This study evaluated the impact of structured first-semester training designed to strengthen communication, coping skills, and resilience among undergraduate nursing students.
Methods and Procedures: Following institutional review board (IRB) approval, 41 first-semester baccalaureate nursing students were invited to participate; 23 completed both pre- and post-intervention surveys. The Clark Civility Index for Students and Classmates was used to measure perceptions of civility. Interventions included role-play, written communication templates, mindfulness training, and Self Discovery through Art: Recovery. Resilience. ReCreation [3] reflection activities.
Results: Classmate civility scores increased by an average of 1.61 points on a 5-point scale, while personal civility scores showed a modest increase of 0.09 points. The greatest gains were observed in the ability to address disruptive behaviors, while the largest decline involved students’ self-reported accountability.
Discussion: Findings suggest that primary prevention interventions introduced early in nursing education can positively influence peer interactions and lay a foundation for professional communication; however, challenges remain in fostering personal accountability and conflict resolution skills.