Extending work environment research into home health settings

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Organizational attributes supporting nursing practice are linked to better nurse and patient outcomes.
• Previous research suggests a theoretical association between supportive work environments and reduced adverse events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between organizational support for nursing practice in home health care agencies and key outcomes.
• To examine associations with nurse-reported adverse events, quality of care, job satisfaction, and intent to leave.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive and correlational study was conducted.
• Data were collected from 137 registered nurses in US home health care agencies.
• Bivariate correlation analysis was used to assess relationships.

Main Results:

• Organizational support for nursing was negatively associated with nurse-reported adverse patient events.
• Higher organizational support correlated positively with nurse-assessed quality of care and job satisfaction.
• Organizational support was also negatively associated with nurses' intentions to leave their agency.

Conclusions:

• Creating supportive work environments in home health care is crucial for enhancing patient outcomes.
• Investing in organizational support for nursing can improve nurse job satisfaction and retention.
• These findings offer practical insights for nursing administrators in home health settings.