What’s in an eye roll? It is time we explore the role of workplace incivility in healthcare

Sharone Bar-David

A recent study of patient violence toward hospital physicians and nurses offers a welcome perspective in its classifying of aggressive behaviors as workplace violence. While patients and families are widely recognized as sources of rude behaviors, we need to shed light on passive aggressive and other low-level rude behaviors that take place frequently amongst hospital personnel as well. Studied under the term "workplace incivility," these seemingly insignificant behaviors that show lack of regard for colleagues have far reaching negative consequences. Examples of such consequences include intentionally reducing work effort, spending time worrying, and taking frustration out on customers. In addition, incivility creates a spiral effect, where one type of incivility breeds other forms of same. In healthcare, rudeness plays a pivotal role due to its negative impact, which goes to the heart of service delivery. For example, healthcare professionals who are exposed to incivility, even when not directed specifically at them, are at risk of inflicting iatrogenic injury. Within the complexity of hospital environments, incivility gets fueled and maintained by underlying beliefs such as "because we work in a high-pressure environment, it's okay to skip the niceties." Tackling these beliefs is key to taming workplace incivility. This article poses questions worthy of further scientific inquiry. Finally, Israeli researchers and practitioners are advised to find a better term for workplace incivility to replace the currently used, excessively negative term gasut ruach.