Background: Research has clearly defined the issue of nursing student incivility, with evidence that nursing students are engaging in uncivil behaviors on a routine basis [1,2,3,4]. Stress, like that experienced with incivility, impacts an individual’s perception of an uncivil encounter and has been linked to the development of negative coping responses [5]. Methods: A mixed-methods convergent parallel design was used to collect data from 39 nurse educators who were employed at 3 schools of nursing in the southern region of the United States. Creswell [6] described the design as “combining elements of both qualitative and quantitative approaches” (p. 3). The convergent method of the design allowed the researcher to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, conduct separate analyses, and compare the results. A mixed-methods convergent parallel design was appropriate for this study because it supported the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping [7], which formed the foundation for the study. The model purports that individuals conduct a primary appraisal of the significance or threat of a stressful encounter (e.g., challenging, positive, controllable, stressful, or irrelevant). If the encounter is perceived to be threatening, a secondary appraisal will follow, which will activate an individual’s coping mechanisms. The design allowed the researcher to determine the coping responses used by nurse educators when facing uncivil encounters with nursing students....

coping, nurse educator, nursing student, perceptions