Development and psychometric testing of the Nursing Workplace Relational Environment Scale (NWRES)

Area of Science:

• Nursing research
• Organizational psychology
• Healthcare management

Background:

• A positive nursing workplace fosters connection, support, and effective conflict management.
• A negative relational environment can lead to decreased job satisfaction and increased staff turnover.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and psychometrically test the Nursing Workplace Relational Environment Scale (NWRES).
• To provide a valid instrument for assessing the relational dynamics within nursing workplaces.

Main Methods:

• A three-stage process involving literature review, item development, and piloting.
• Quantitative survey methodology with a final 22-item scale administered to 150 nurses.
• Psychometric testing including exploratory factor analysis, construct validity, and reliability assessment.

Main Results:

• Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 22-item scale with a four-factor structure: collegial behaviors, relational atmosphere, conflict outcomes, and job satisfaction.
• The identified factors explained 68.12% of the total variance.
• The overall scale demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.872), with subscales ranging from 0.781 to 0.927.

Conclusions:

• The Nursing Workplace Relational Environment Scale (NWRES) is a reliable and valid instrument.
• Findings have implications for health managers regarding workplace environment, job satisfaction, and nurse retention.
• Further research with larger samples is recommended to explore subscale relationships.