Incivility and the clinical learner (June 2020)

Summary

The impact of incivility in terms of individual and team performance in clinical environments is increasingly acknowledged and supported by a growing evidence base. However, clinical environments are not just areas where patient care is delivered, they are also rich, key learning arenas for healthcare professionals. To date, the potential impact of incivility in clinical environments on healthcare professional learning and development has not been comprehensively explored.

This article provides an overview of the physiological mechanisms that inhibit learning and memory recall in individuals experiencing or observing incivility and social stress. It establishes a clear need for focus on the impact of incivility on clinical learners and educators and further evidence for the need for clinical environments in which civility is firmly rooted into the pervading culture.