Nurse managers describe their practice environments.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Administration
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Hospital work environments significantly impact patient safety.
• Nurse managers are key to creating supportive environments for staff nurses.
• Limited understanding exists regarding the specific environmental needs of nurse managers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the essential components of a supportive practice environment for nurse managers.
• To identify organizational characteristics influencing nurse manager effectiveness.
• To illustrate the defined domains of nurse managers' practice environments.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of two cross-sectional studies.
• Content analysis of free-text comments from 127 nurse managers.
• Qualitative illustration of 8 defined domains of nurse managers' practice environments.

Main Results:

• Nurse managers require time for meaningful staff interaction, necessitating manageable workloads.
• Empowerment and trust from directors are vital for nurse manager decision-making.
• A patient safety culture built on accountability and respect is crucial.
• Expanded role expectations challenge nurse manager effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Characteristics of the current practice environment can limit nurse manager effectiveness and impact organizational performance.
• Further research is needed to understand the influence of nurse managers' environments on staff and patient outcomes.
• Addressing nurse manager environmental needs is critical for healthcare quality improvement.