Feedback provision, nurses' well-being and quality improvement: towards a conceptual framework.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Quality improvement initiatives often assume feedback on measurements benefits nursing teams.
• Empirical evidence is mixed, with some studies indicating feedback can alienate or demotivate nurses.
• The interplay between feedback, nurse well-being, and quality improvement is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a conceptual framework linking feedback on quality measurements to nurses' well-being and quality improvement.
• To integrate literature on feedback provision and strategic human resource management in nursing.
• To clarify the complex relationship between feedback, nurse well-being, and quality outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis integrating feedback literature and strategic human resource management.
• Exploration of three perspectives on the impact of feedback on nurses' well-being and quality improvement.
• Identification of mediating and moderating variables for future research.

Main Results:

• Feedback provision can lead to quality improvement, but its effect on nurses' well-being varies.
• Quality improvement may occur at the expense of nurses' well-being or contribute to it.
• The relationship between feedback, well-being, and quality improvement is complex and context-dependent.

Conclusions:

• Feedback can be a tool for both quality enhancement and nurse motivation, but its success hinges on nurses' perceptions.
• Contextual factors significantly moderate the impact of feedback on nursing teams.
• Future research should investigate nurses' perceptions as mediators and context as a moderator to understand feedback's dual effects.