[Assessment of the professional practice environment by Spanish nurses who participate in Internet forums]

To assess the professional work environment by Spanish nurses who participate in professional discussion groups on the Internet.

A cross-sectional study (online survey) developed in 2011. The study variables were: socio-demographic and professional data; nursing practice environment, using the questionnaire Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI).

Out of a total of 295 questionnaires received, 214 were valid (72.54%). Most of the nurses were female (70.6%), with an average age of 43.55 years (SD = 9.82). The average score of the PES-NWI was 2.45 (SD = 0.63). The work environment was assessed as a mixed type, as three subscales scored over 2.5 (nursing foundations for quality of care, nurse manager leadership and support of nurses, and nurse-physician relations). The work environment assessment was influenced by several factors: professional category (P <.001); function (P <.001); and type of centre, which only affected the perception of the nurse-physician relations subscale.

The work environment received a moderate evaluation by participants. The staffing and resource adequacy subscale scored the worst, while the nursing foundations for quality of care was the highest scored. Nurses with management function and those with higher positions tended to give a better assessment of the work environment. The nurse-physician relations dimension was higher rated in primary care and nursing homes than in hospitals.