Encouraging Civility among Nurse Practitioner Students Enrolled in Online Courses

This article reviews incivility in online courses and recommends strategies to reduce its occurrence. Faculty have an important role in fostering civility among nurse practitioner students through maintaining a trusting and respectful learning environment, providing clear course guidelines and expectations, and establishing a sense of community. Without a social presence in online courses, nonverbal cues are lacking and netiquette becomes important. To discourage uncivil behaviors among students, the institution’s Student Code of Conduct must be consistently enforced by faculty and supported by administration. The promotion of civility is of utmost importance as rude behaviors may progress to violent situations when left unaddressed.