[A check list for working conditions and work satisfaction of nurses in general hospitals--report on results]

During a training on continuing education the nursing staff of the "Klinikum Bamberg" decided to start systematic research into career patterns, working conditions and work satisfaction. A checklist was developed. The study reports findings from 543 nurses in 4 german general hospitals. Leaving aside details about specific clinical areas it emerged a high agreement in positively evaluated working conditions and in negatively evaluated as well. Particularly positively evaluated areas are work-content, colleague in the wards, relationships with the immediate superiors. There was little homogeneity concerning working hours and range of duties. What was generally thought to need improvement was staffing level, workload, bed occupancy, hospital management/organization and salar. These findings are consistent with mostly all newer publications on this topic. They too are consistent with the professional self-awareness of the nursing staff inferrable from the career expectations: The most important object only rarely were in keeping with the traditional image of "service to humanity". Personal aims, such as money, were much more prevalent, but also to be able to give the best possible and dignific care. With respect to these findings we propose to do the following strategy: It no longer serves a useful purpose to continue research with variing methods of data collection and to confirm the already well known facts. It rather seems politically necessary to take the next steps: Using a standardized method of data collection, to get comparable data, based on this to establish the actual state of working conditions from the sight of the nursing staff. Finally to demand the changing of these conditions which need to be improved as the necessary framework for modern nursing practice. Our experience suggests that the check list is a suitable tool for the collection of these data.