Systems thinking and incivility in nursing practice: An integrative review

Abstract

Background and purpose: There is a critical need for nurses and interprofessional healthcare providers to implement systems thinking (ST) across international borders, addressing incivility and its perilous effects on patient quality and safety. An estimated one million patients die in hospitals worldwide due to avoidable patient-related errors. Establishing safe and civil workplaces using ST is paramount to promoting clear, level-headed thinking from which patient-centered nursing actions can impact health systems. The purpose of the paper is to answer the research question, What ST evidence fosters the effect of workplace civility in practice settings?

Methods: Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review method guided this study. The quality of articles was determined using Chu et al.'s Mixed Methods Assessment Tool.

Results: Thirty-eight studies were reviewed. Themes emerged describing antecedents and consequences of incivility as embedded within complex systems, suggesting improvements for civility and systems/ST in nursing practice.

Implications for practice: This integrative review provides information about worldwide incivility in nursing practice from a systems perspective. Several models are offered as a means of promoting civility in nursing practice to improve patient quality and safety. Further study is needed regarding incivility and resultant effects on patient quality and safety.

Keywords: global health; incivility; nursing practice; systems thinking.