Awareness of Academic Incivility: Comparison Utilizing Second Year Associate Degree Nursing Students

Academic incivility is a growing concern on college campuses ranging from rude behaviors, offensive language, and cheating, to hostile violent behaviors. A quantitative descriptive design was used to compare the awareness of perceptions regarding academic incivility among fourth semester nursing students currently enrolled in a private, Christian, Baptist-related university, and a rural public community college. As evidenced in the literature, uncivil behaviors in the classroom negatively impact the teaching-learning environment. Research is limited regarding academic incivility in the private institution. An identifiable gap in research is found when comparing awareness of academic incivility among students who attend a private institution and those attending a public institution. Clark\u27s (2007) revised Incivility in Nursing Education Survey (INE) was used to survey (N=59) students\u27 perceptions regarding disruptive and threatening student behaviors, faculty behaviors, and staff nurse behaviors in the academic environment and the clinical setting. Frequency statistics were used to determine demographic data. Other categories were analyzed for frequency based on results from a Likert scale. Group statistics were analyzed using a t-test. The results of this research study indicated a significant difference in awareness concerning academic incivility between second year associate degree nursing students attending public community college verses private university nursing schools