Associations Between the Nurse Practice Environment and Nurse-Sensitive Patient Outcomes: Empirical Research...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• The nurse practice environment significantly influences patient outcomes.
• Understanding these associations is vital for improving healthcare quality in Hong Kong.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the nurse practice environment and nurse-sensitive patient outcomes.
• To identify specific aspects of the practice environment that affect patient safety.

Main Methods:

• A 4-wave repeated cross-sectional study was conducted in 71 medical, surgical, and orthopedic wards across four public hospitals in Hong Kong.
• Data were collected quarterly over one year (Jan 2016-Dec 2018) from 604-865 nurses per wave.
• The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index and National Quality Forum-endorsed measures were used, with analysis via multiple regression.

Main Results:

• Nurse practice environments were generally rated favorably, with 'Nursing foundations for quality of care' scoring highest and 'Staffing and resource adequacy' lowest.
• No significant association was found between the overall practice environment and nurse-sensitive patient outcomes.
• 'Staffing and resource adequacy' was significantly linked to reduced inpatient falls and catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Conclusions:

• Staffing levels are a critical factor influencing inpatient falls and catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
• The overall nurse practice environment did not show a significant association with patient outcomes in this study.
• Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore mediating factors like nurse resilience.