A new practice environment measure based on the reality and experiences of nurses working lives

To explore the underlying organizational issues affecting a nurses' decision to leave and to develop a contemporary practice environment measure based on the experiences of nurses working lives.

Turnover had reached an unacceptable level in our organization but underlying reasons for leaving were unknown.

In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 nurses who had resigned. Transcripts were analysed using the constant comparative method. Information from the interviews informed the development a new practice environment tool, which has undergone initial testing using the Content Validity Index and Chronbach's alpha.

Two domains ('work life' and 'personal life/professional development') and five themes ('feeling safe', 'feeling valued', 'getting things done', 'professional development' and 'being flexible') emerged from the interviews. A content validity score for the new instrument was 0.79 and Chronbach's alpha 0.93.

The new practice environment tool has shown useful initial reliability and validity but requires wider testing in other settings.

The reality and experiences of nurses working lives can be identified through exit interviews conducted by an independent person. Information from such interviews is useful in identifying an organization's strength and weaknesses and to develop initiatives to support retention.