The Perception of Incvility on Career Retention of New Graduate Nurses

Over the past few decades, researchers have been exploring the cause and effects of incivility in the nursing profession. With the nursing shortage on the rise, organizations are focused on decreased retention rates and the impact on patient outcomes and organizational costs. In order to assess and evaluate the current literature on incivility toward new nurses and its’ impact on retention, an integrative review was conducted. The purpose of this project was to evaluate incivility toward new graduate nurses and the impact incivility has on career retention. The Theory of Planned Behaviour was the framework used to guide this review. The CINAHL database search revealed 26 articles; the PRISMA flow chart was used to document the search path. Five articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The included articles were reviewed using Polit&Beck’s literature review; quantitative research and qualitative research report guidelines. A cross-literature analysis was then conducted to identify common themes and key findings. The review revealed that incivility continues to greatly influence new nurses’ intentions to leave their current positions and possibly the profession. The numbers of articles was limited but were of high quality and provided sound data that revealed the impact of incivility on new graduate nurses and their retention intentions. In conclusion, incivility is under-addressed and under-recognized as a cause of decreased job satisfaction and retention. Further research should evaluate the effectiveness of empowerment, education programs, zero tolerance, and behavioral accountability in decreasing the incidence and impact of incivility. Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) can role model and support nurses to be accountable for their behaviors and can teach team building skills to build a zero-tolerance civil work environment.