The validation and application of the Chinese version of perceived nursing work environment scale

To improve the development of the Chinese version of Perceived Nursing Work Environment (C-PNWE) scale by examination and application and to explore the nurses' perception of their working environment in a hospital.

The C-PNWE scale was translated and revised from the PNWE scale. The least of perfection is that the development of C-PNWE ignored that the psychometric properties of the PNWE instrument were established of critical care nurses and further application and testing of the PNWE in various patient care settings were recommended.

This is a cross-sectional design. Nurses from different departments of a hospital were sampled by convenience sampling and investigated by self-administrated questionnaire.

Data obtained through questionnaires were analysed by descriptive statistical analyses and profile analyses using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Chinese version 17.0 software.

The coincident and level profile analyses indicated that these groups can merge into one group, and the profile of measurement result of this merged group would not exhibit flatness. Among six dimensions of C-PNWE scale, the Staffing and Resource Adequacy got the lowest average score. Among 41 items, 'Opportunity for staff nurse to participate in policy decisions' got the lowest mean.

The C-PNWE scale shows good psychometric properties and can be used to explore nurses' perspectives of the nursing practice environment in China. And the situation of nurses' perceived working environment in China needs further study.

Shaping nursing practice environments to promote desired outcomes requires valid and reliable measures to assess practice environments prior to, during and following efforts to implement change. The C-PNWE scale can be a useful measurement tool for administrators to improve the nursing work environment in China.