Acedia: A Link between Incivility and Burnout in Nursing
Presenter Classification
Faculty
Presentation Type
Podium Presentation
Publication Date
4-24-2025
Start Date
24-4-2025 11:20 AM
End Date
24-4-2025 11:40 AM
Keywords
Acedia, incivility, burnout, nurses, nursing students
Abstract Type
Scientific Literature Review
Abstract
Acedia: A Link between Incivility and Burnout in Nursing
Scientific Abstract
Introduction & Background: Incivility and burnout exist in nursing. Incivility is disrespectful overt and covert verbal and non-verbal behaviors intentionally exhibited to hurt another person. Burnout symptoms follow prolonged unrelieved stress and frustration. Both cause deleterious physical, cognitive, emotional, and social difficulties for nurses and nursing students. Education is needed before these problems are experienced. Incivility education includes cognitive rehearsal and therapeutic communication techniques. Burnout education focuses on self-care education and stress reduction. Acedia is a medieval term for understanding the work which needs to be completed while lacking the physical energy, cognitive drive, and emotional caring to innervate necessary task completion. Apathy may link these three concepts.
Purpose Statement Question: How can understanding the concept of acedia help nurses identify, interpret, and intervene to reduce or stop incivility and burnout behaviors?
Literature review: Research identifies the manifestations of acedia in medieval times as anergia, lethargy, slough, somnolence, avolition, depression, anxiety, cognitive fog, and apathy. This “Noonday Demon” appeared after the mid-day meal much like our contemporary afternoon slump. Acedia in nursing is a knowledge gap.
Findings: Psychologists and Seventh Day Adventists have been study samples, but not nurses. Research is needed to identify acedia in nurses.
Conclusions: Acedia did not end in the 7th century. The disrespect in incivility and self-neglect in burnout may be collectively addressed as a care deficit, or apathy, in a person experiencing 21st century acedia.
Keywords: Acedia, incivility, burnout, nurses, nursing students
Acedia: A Link between Incivility and Burnout in Nursing
Acedia: A Link between Incivility and Burnout in Nursing
Scientific Abstract
Introduction & Background: Incivility and burnout exist in nursing. Incivility is disrespectful overt and covert verbal and non-verbal behaviors intentionally exhibited to hurt another person. Burnout symptoms follow prolonged unrelieved stress and frustration. Both cause deleterious physical, cognitive, emotional, and social difficulties for nurses and nursing students. Education is needed before these problems are experienced. Incivility education includes cognitive rehearsal and therapeutic communication techniques. Burnout education focuses on self-care education and stress reduction. Acedia is a medieval term for understanding the work which needs to be completed while lacking the physical energy, cognitive drive, and emotional caring to innervate necessary task completion. Apathy may link these three concepts.
Purpose Statement Question: How can understanding the concept of acedia help nurses identify, interpret, and intervene to reduce or stop incivility and burnout behaviors?
Literature review: Research identifies the manifestations of acedia in medieval times as anergia, lethargy, slough, somnolence, avolition, depression, anxiety, cognitive fog, and apathy. This “Noonday Demon” appeared after the mid-day meal much like our contemporary afternoon slump. Acedia in nursing is a knowledge gap.
Findings: Psychologists and Seventh Day Adventists have been study samples, but not nurses. Research is needed to identify acedia in nurses.
Conclusions: Acedia did not end in the 7th century. The disrespect in incivility and self-neglect in burnout may be collectively addressed as a care deficit, or apathy, in a person experiencing 21st century acedia.
Keywords: Acedia, incivility, burnout, nurses, nursing students