'We don't accept disrespectful behaviour': Exploring the experience and management of workplace incivility across different contexts in the veterinary industry.

Workplace incivility in veterinary settings threatens team dynamics, patient safety, and staff retention across all roles.

This qualitative study investigates workplace incivility among veterinary professionals in the UK, examining its impacts, coping strategies, and contextual variations across different practice settings. Using semi-structured interviews based on the critical incident technique, 18 veterinary professionals from various roles and contexts participated. Conventional content analysis was applied to the qualitative data. Key findings reveal that workplace incivility has significant adverse consequences, including increased intention to quit, disrupted team dynamics, and compromised patient safety. Receptionists and veterinary students reported experiencing higher levels of incivility compared to veterinarians and nurses, highlighting a role-based disparity in exposure. Equine veterinarians faced unique challenges, encountering heightened incivility at events and in situations involving insurance-related disputes. In teaching hospital settings, participants emphasized the necessity of targeted student-focused interventions. Existing organizational mitigation strategies identified included promoting a culture of civility, conducting feedback sessions, and implementing educational programs. The authors recommend that veterinary practices audit and improve the clarity of their incivility management systems. Equine clinics are encouraged to develop personalized support resources, while teaching hospitals should prioritize building psychological safety and modeling appropriate responses to incivility. Limitations include the inherent challenges of establishing causality with qualitative data and limited generalizability beyond the study sample. Overall, this study underscores the need for structured, context-sensitive organizational responses to workplace incivility in veterinary settings.

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