An Exploration of What Nurses Value in Their Nursing Practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Rising nurse turnover rates highlight a critical need to understand evolving nursing values.
• Identifying factors influencing job satisfaction is essential for retaining nurses in the profession.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the core values nurses prioritize in their practice.
• To identify elements contributing to nurse satisfaction and inform retention strategies.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study utilizing focus groups.
• Explored values among inpatient acute care nurses (n=52).

Main Results:

• Key themes emerged: relationship building (patients, colleagues, leaders), compassion, patient advocacy, and teamwork.
• Identified barriers include resource constraints, communication issues, and role strain.
• Nurses express optimism about adapting to innovation and maintaining human-to-human connections.

Conclusions:

• Findings provide insights into nurse values and challenges, informing future research.
• Recommendations for leaders to improve organizational strategies and enhance nurse retention.