Toward a Situation-Specific Theory of Nursing Organizational Well-Being: An Early-Stage Development

Background and Purpose: A good understanding of nursing organizational well-being can allow nurse managers to monitor their work context, guide clinical practice, and improve care quality. Theoretical studies of nursing organizational well-being are limited, and this article proposes a situation-specific theory. Methods: The article's content explains the development of this situational theory of nursing organizational well-being following the integrative approach by Im and Meleis by checking assumptions for theorization, initiating theorization through multiple sources, reasoning through critical analyses, documenting theorization, and reporting and sharing theorization. Results: Eight theoretical propositions are conceptualized, emphasizing the interconnectedness of various professionals and work context factors with nursing organizational well-being and related outcomes. Nursing demands and nursing resources have been identified in this situational theory as crucial in determining nursing organizational well-being. Implications for Practice: This article discusses the implications of developing knowledge on nursing organizational well-being. Using this situational theory, researchers can understand the variables determining nursing organizational well-being, and the theory can guide their research study. Health care managers can also use this situational theory to evaluate the nursing work environment and the variables influencing it, subsequently improving outcomes for nurses, organizations, and patients.