Nursing practice environment, job outcomes and safety climate: a structural equation modelling analysis

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice Environment
• Occupational Health
• Patient Safety

Background:

• The nursing practice environment significantly impacts healthcare professional well-being and patient safety.
• Limited evidence exists on the nursing practice environment specifically within pediatric units.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between nursing practice environment characteristics, job outcomes, and safety climate in pediatric hospitals.
• To identify predictors of positive job outcomes and a strong safety climate.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study conducted in two Brazilian pediatric hospitals.
• Utilized the Nursing Work Index - Revised, Safety Attitudes Questionnaire - Short Form 2006, and Maslach Burnout Inventory.
• Employed Spearman's correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Autonomy, control over the work environment, and nurse-physician relationships were associated with job outcomes and safety climate.
• These factors were identified as significant predictors of both job satisfaction and a positive safety climate.

Conclusions:

• Nurses with greater autonomy, control, and positive interprofessional relationships reported lower emotional exhaustion, higher job satisfaction, and reduced turnover intention.
• Enhancing the professional practice environment can lead to improved pediatric patient safety and nurse well-being.