Experienced nurses continue to "eat our young," and many of the perpetrators of incivilities in the workplace are supervisors, mentors, and coworkers. As a returning nursing student obtaining my bachelor of science in nursing, a nurse leader and supervisor for more than 15 years, and a nurse mentor, this article reminded me of my responsibilities to hold others accountable for their actions and to lead by example.

There should be a zero tolerance policy toward incivilities in all health care institutions. Education and best practice strategies for the workplace should be implemented to mitigate these occurrences. Monitoring through audits of these practices should be conducted to ensure companies remain compliant; otherwise, funding should be withheld and potential penalties given. These regulations would hold companies accountable to implement processes to protect nurses. I plan to discuss this article on our Open Forum blog with the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA) and will suggest that a team of experts work on educational material and best practice strategies for the workplace to share with companies in the dialysis industry. I would love to see this topic discussed at the upcoming ANNA National Symposium. I also believe it's imperative for federal regulators to set expectations and guidelines regarding incivilities in health care for institutions to follow in order to eliminate these practices, protect our nurses, and keep our patients safe.

Jenny Ashcraft, MBA, RN

Matthews, NC