NR 621 Education Practicum Project Project

NR 621 Education Practicum Project Project

Name

Chamberlain University

NR-621: Nurse Educator Concluding Graduate Experience I

Prof. Name

Date

Disruptive Student Behaviors in Nursing Education

Disruptive student behaviors are actions that interfere with the teaching and learning process within a classroom. If not addressed, these behaviors can escalate and negatively impact both the educational environment and the quality of patient care in nursing education. Common types of disruptive behaviors include incivility, which involves aggressive or hostile interactions between students, threats of violence, and frequent unproductive arguments. Other behaviors include lateral or horizontal violence, bullying, and general disrespect towards peers and instructors. Regardless of the specific terminology used, these behaviors share two significant consequences: they undermine respectful relationships and degrade the quality of education and patient care.

Disruptive behaviors can cause psychological distress, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and physical ailments among targeted individuals. Furthermore, incidents of classroom incivility such as tardiness, sleeping during class, excessive cell phone use, and general disrespect towards peers are increasingly common. Statistics indicate a growing number of students suffering from disruptive behavior disorders, particularly Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Recent studies show that approximately 40% of adolescents with ADHD exhibit behaviors that disrupt the classroom environment (Thompson et al., 2020). These disruptions often alter the classroom dynamics, shifting the focus from learning tasks to managing behavioral distractions. Consequently, both teachers and students experience distress, and the educational process is hindered.

NR 621 Education Practicum Project Project

Several factors contribute to disruptive behaviors in the classroom. Boredom is one of the most common causes. When students are not engaged or fail to see the relevance of the material being taught, they may act out. This may also occur when students feel they already know the material being covered. Another contributing factor is confusion, where students struggle to understand key concepts or explanations from instructors, often leading them to act disruptively in an attempt to cope with their confusion. In some cases, students may exhibit disruptive behaviors due to feelings of resentment, especially when they feel devalued by teachers or peers (Latif, Khan, & Khan, 2016).

Cognitive Rehearsal as an Intervention for Disruptive Behaviors

The PICOT question for this study is: “Should cognitive rehearsal intervention be considered for students exhibiting uncivil behaviors in nursing education, to improve their learning and help prevent failure?” Cognitive rehearsal has been proven to be an effective intervention in addressing incivility and workplace bullying, particularly within nursing education settings. This intervention involves three key steps: participating in didactic instruction, rehearsing specific phrases for managing uncivil encounters, and practicing these strategies in real-life situations. Given the prevalence of incivility in nursing education, it is crucial to implement interventions that help reduce negative behaviors among students.

Effective intervention strategies include proper acknowledgment of the disruptive behavior and the use of psychosocial approaches. Psychosocial interventions involve addressing an individual’s psychological development and their interaction with their social environment. These interventions may include structured counseling, motivational enhancement, case management, care coordination, psychotherapy, and relapse prevention. Another key strategy is the development of communication techniques based on classroom incivility surveys, which can provide feedback on the effectiveness of interventions and encourage open dialogue. In some cases, communication strategies may involve reporting uncivil acts to deans or instructors and fostering an environment of free expression.

NR 621 Education Practicum Project Project

Additionally, a zero-tolerance policy, when consistently applied, can help address and mitigate disruptive behaviors. Institutions should screen for signs of incivility and respond promptly and justly to any reports. This proactive approach helps ensure that students understand the consequences of their actions and the importance of maintaining a respectful classroom environment (Khasinah, 2017). Thus, this paper seeks to explore the issue of incivility in nursing education and propose effective strategies for managing disruptive behaviors.

Table: Disruptive Behaviors and Intervention Strategies

References

Khasinah, S. (2017). Managing disruptive behavior of students in language classroom. Englisia: Journal of Language, Education, and Humanities, 4(2), 79-89. Retrieved from http://103.107.187.25/index.php/englisia/article/view/1661

Latif, M., Khan, U. A., & Khan, A. N. (2016). Causes of students’ disruptive classroom behavior: A comparative study. Gomal University Journal of Research, 32(1), 44-52. Retrieved from http://www.gujr.com.pk/index.php/GUJR/article/view/139/49

NR 621 Education Practicum Project Project

Thompson, A. M., Stinson, A. E., Sinclair, J., Stormont, M., Prewitt, S., & Hammons, J. (2020). Changes in disruptive behavior mediated by social competency: Testing the STARS Theory of Change in a randomized sample of elementary students. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 11(4), 591-614. Retrieved from https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/712494