The Adaption of the Work Environment Survey for Public Health Nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Public Health
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Assessing the work environment is crucial for public health nurse (PHN) retention.
• Existing instruments may require adaptation for specific nursing populations.
• The Revised Casey-Fink Nurse Retention Survey's Work Environment/Support/Encouragement section was targeted for adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of a survey section measuring the work environment for public health nurses (PHNs).
• To refine the scale for accurate assessment of factors influencing PHN retention.

Main Methods:

• Secondary data analysis of 596 public health nurses (PHNs) in North Carolina.
• Classical test theory for scale reliability and item analysis.
• Content validity surveys, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) for construct validity.

Main Results:

• A 19-item, three-factor structure was identified: managerial support, professional nursing role, and recognition.
• Reliability estimates (Cronbach's alpha) ranged from .859 to .959 for the subscales.
• The adapted scale demonstrated good psychometric properties for measuring the PHN work environment.

Conclusions:

• The adapted 19-item scale provides a reliable and valid measure of the work environment for public health nurses.
• Findings support the importance of managerial support, professional role, and recognition in the PHN work setting.
• This validated instrument can aid in understanding and improving factors affecting public health nurse retention.