To wrap up our focus on outliers in 2026, this column entry encourages our community to develop and apply outlier protocols. Within their protocols, researchers should minimally detail identification techniques and how outliers will subsequently be managed. The nurse education community is also encouraged to develop a body of resources to help researchers develop good outlier protocols.
Background: The importance of fostering civility in academic nursing is well established; however, research has focused primarily on describing civility and evaluating interventions rather than explaining how civility develops. Consequently, nursing education lacks a developmental framework explaining how civility is intentionally cultivated and translated into consistent professional action. Method: Grounded in Bandura's social cognitive theory, the Civility Agency Framework was systematically derived from the Middle-Range Theory of Civility in Academic Nursing through theoretical synthesis. Results: The Civility Agency Framework conceptualizes civility agency as eight interdependent dimensions organized within three developmental phases that collectively explain how individuals intentionally develop and sustain civility in academic nursing. Conclusion: The Civility Agency Framework advances nursing education by providing a theoretically grounded foundation for intentionally cultivating civility throughout nursing education.
Background: Nursing organizations are well suited to guide ethical professional practice. Encouraging participation in organizations, such as Sigma, during nursing school sets students up for a career in life-long learning. Nurse faculty may struggle to promote and sustain organizational membership due to workload and other role requirements. Method: A Plan-Do-Study-Act improvement was used to guide the re-invigoration of a weakened Sigma Chapter. Over a 4 month time period in 2026, nurse faculty leaders prepared for membership recruitment and an induction ceremony. Results: Student participation in induction increased (31.1% of invited), three faculty members were inducted as leaders, and over 100 participants, faculty, and guests attended the induction ceremony. Feedback was positive. Conclusion: Shared governance, open communication, and collaboration supported the process to increase student awareness, student membership, and membership induction. Continued process evaluation is warranted to sustain the organization.
Background: Undergraduate nursing students frequently experience stress, anxiety, and depression related to academic demands, yet many do not engage with available campus mental health services due to barriers such as stigma, low visibility, time constraints, and access difficulties. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to enhance awareness and engagement with campus mental health resources among Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students. Method: Guided by Pender's Health Promotion Model, this project implemented evidence-based interventions, including QR code advertisements and an educational seminar focused on mental health awareness, stigma reduction, and help-seeking behaviors. Anonymous pre- and post-intervention surveys were completed by 71 BSN students and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Findings demonstrated increased familiarity with campus mental health resources, a 77% reduction in lack of awareness as a barrier, and improved comfort and confidence in seeking support. Conclusion: Low-cost, scalable strategies can improve visibility, reduce barriers, and support student well-being.
