1. Unit 15: Incivility, prejudice & racism – what is a student to do? WRITTEN BY KATHLEEN MCCULLOUGH-ZANDER, MA, RN, CTN

2. Incivility:  Rude, disruptive, intimidating or hostile behavior  Incivility is thought to be increasing in frequency in health care  Results in psychological and physiological distress  Another term is bullying  Common with students and new graduate nurses

3. Prejudice:  Preconceived ideas not based on reason or actual experience  Often applied to groups of people Underlying idea that one group of people is “better than” others

4. Racism:  Non-equal treatment in society due to color or racial group  Idea that European-Americans are superior  Can be subtle or direct and violent  Life long effects physically, mentally and spiritually  Can only be changed by the dominate group

5. Basic concept is power  Those at the center of society with the power do not want to share it with those on the margins  Power = money

6. Subtle racism in nursing  Invisible to most white nurses  Due to nursing being based on European-American culture  All nurses need to become aware of this  Code of Nursing Ethics prohibits incivility, prejudice and racism.  Caring as the basis of nursing