Minorities in nursing: The experience of incivility in nursing education

Abstract

The aim of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of minority nursing students with nursing faculty’s incivility. Six students of varied ethnicity participated in the study. The guiding theoretical framework for the study included Roy’s adaptation model and Clark’s conceptual model for fostering civility in nursing education. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi’s (1978) phenomenological method for qualitative research was used to guide the data analysis of the student’s experiences with faculty incivility. Seven themes emerged related to nursing faculty uncivil behaviors including: learning environment, unfair treatment, student faculty relationships, demeaning/belittling, emotional impact, adaptive behaviors, and pressure to conform. Implications of this study indicate faculty can meet the needs of minority students and improve relationships leading to higher success in nursing education by understanding the perceptions of students experiencing incivility. Nurse educators need to be aware of differences in social integration, sociocultural context, and learning among minority nursing students. Future research should focus on faculty perceptions of working with minority nursing students and the issues within nursing education. An additional area for future research should be minority nursing faculty working with diverse student populations.