Perception and Contributing Factors of Academic Incivility Among Undergraduate Nursing Students in India

Introduction: Academic incivility in students has the potential to undermine the learning process because it affects both the perpetrator and the educator. This results from the reduced trust between students and faculty resulting in a reduction in productivity, thereby impeding the learning process. Objectives: The study was conducted to understand the perception and factors contributing to academic incivility among undergraduate nursing students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted. A total of 250 undergraduate nursing students studying in three nursing colleges in India participated in the study. A convenience sampling approach was used to recruit the participants. A 13-item Uncivil Behavior in Clinical Nursing Education (UBCNE) tool was used to collect the data. Results: The study found that 7.56% of the sampled nursing students always indulged in uncivil behavior, 9.51% of them often indulged in uncivilized activities, while 20.06% of them reported sometimes indulging in uncivil behavior. This means that 37.45% of the nursing students sampled engaged in some forms of uncivil behavior. In contrast, the study found that 62.55% of the nursing students never indulge in uncivilized activities. The contributing factors of academic incivility were the academic setting, the student's academic preparation, the teacher's attitude, emotional disturbance, substance abuse, cultural issues, and social issues. There was no significant association between the demographic variables and the level of perception on academic incivility among nursing students at p < .05. Conclusion: It is important to understand the perceptions and factors that predispose students to engage in uncivil behavior given the prevalence of this educational challenge. Corrective strategies are needed to educate the perpetrators about the ill effects of their actions.