Measuring the Work Environment: The Voice of the Staff Nurse
Caitlin Marley Campbell1, Pauline A Swiger, Nora Warshawsky
1Author Affiliations: Research Assistant (Dr Campbell), Assistant Professor (Dr Li), and Professor and Endowed Chair (Dr Patrician), University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing; Colonel (Dr Swiger), US Army Nurse Corps; Consultant and Principal (Dr Warshawsky), Nurse Scientist, Press Ganey Associates, South Bend, Indiana; Assistant Professor (Dr Olds) University of Kansas School of Nursing, Kansas City; and Associate Professor (Dr Cramer), Health Services and Outcomes Research, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Missouri.
Objective:
The aims of this study were to obtain direct care hospital nurse input on the relevance of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) and to determine whether additional items are needed to measure the contemporary nursing work environment (NWE).
Background:
Instruments accurately measuring the NWE are essential due to the NWE's association with nurse, patient, and organizational outcomes. However, the most frequently used instrument for measuring the NWE has not been scrutinized by today's practicing direct care nurses to ensure its current relevancy.
Methods:
Researchers administered a survey with a modified PES-NWI and open-ended questions to a national sample of direct care hospital nurses.
Results:
Three items from the PES-NWI may be suitable for removal, and additional items may be added to accurately measure the current NWE.
Conclusion:
Most PES-NWI items remain relevant for modern nursing practice. However, some revisions could enable greater precision in measuring the current NWE.
Related Concept Videos
Nurses' Legal Responsibilities III
Cultivating a culture of collaboration and mutual respect among nurses transcends mere enhancement...
Obedience
Accountability and Responsibility of a Nurse II
For example, a nurse demonstrating respect and compassion might listen attentively to a patient's concerns, provide...
Nursing Evaluation
Guidelines For Measuring Vital Signs
Before taking a patient's vital signs, a nurse would consider and assess the patient's comfort level and ensure appropriate equipment is available.
Nurses' Legal Responsibilities II
Communication between nurses and...


