Cent Eur J Nurs Midw 2021, 12(4):495-504 | DOI: 10.15452/cejnm.2021.12.0019

Nurses’ work environment, job satisfaction, and intention to leave – a cross-sectional study in Czech hospitals

Elena Gurková1, Zdeňka Mikšová1, Monika Labudíková2, Daniela Chocholková3
1 Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic
2 Department of Hemato-Oncology, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
3 Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic

Aim: The study aimed to determine how Czech nurses perceive individual aspects of their work environment, and examined the differences in perceptions of their work environment related to type of hospital, hospital departments, and individual demographic characteristics. The study included analysis of the relationships between nurses’ work environment and: intention to leave, satisfaction with current work position, the role of nurse, and work intensity.

Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

Methods: The sample involved 371 nurses working in the internal medicine and surgical departments of four hospitals in the Olomouc region. The Czech version of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the Pearson chi-squared test, the Mann-Whitney test, and Spearman’s correlations.

Results: Nurses from university hospitals evaluated their work environment significantly more highly than nurses in regional non-university hospitals. No significant difference between internal medicine and surgical hospital wards was confirmed. Weak to moderate positive correlations were revealed between nurses’ work environment and: satisfaction with the role of nurse, satisfaction with current work position, and satisfaction with team collaboration. Nurses who considered leaving their current job or work position evaluated their work environment significantly more negatively than nurses who did not intend to leave their job.

Conclusion: The attributes of nurses’ work environment are related to nurses’ satisfaction at work and their intention of staying in their workplace. Variables of hospitals greatly improved overall assessment of the work environment.

Keywords: intention to leave, job satisfaction, nurses, work environment

Received: December 2, 2020; Revised: March 3, 2021; Accepted: April 21, 2021; Prepublished online: September 27, 2021; Published: December 7, 2021  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Gurková E, Mikšová Z, Labudíková M, Chocholková D. Nurses’ work environment, job satisfaction, and intention to leave – a cross-sectional study in Czech hospitals. Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery. 2021;12(4):495-504. doi: 10.15452/cejnm.2021.12.0019.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Aiken, L. H., & Patrician, P. A. (2000). Measuring organizational traits of hospitals: the Revised Nursing Work Index. Nursing Research, 49(3), 146-153. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006199-200005000-00006 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    2. Aiken, L. H., Buchan, J., Ball, J., & Rafferty, A. M. (2008). Transformative impact of Magnet designation: England case study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(24), 3330-3337. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02640.x Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    3. Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Clarke, S., Poghosyan, L., Cho, E., You, L., Finlayson, M., Kanai-Pak, M., & Aungsuroch, Y. (2011). Importance of work environments on hospital outcomes in nine countries. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 23(4), 357-364. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzr022 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    4. Aiken, L. H., Sermeus, W., Van den Heede, K., Sloane, D. M., Busse, R., McKee, M., Bruyneel, L., Rafferty, A. M., Griffiths, P., Moreno-Casbas, M. T., Tishelman, C., Scott, A., Brzostek, T., Kinnunen, J., Schwendimann, R., Heinen, M., Zikos, D., Sjetne, I. S., Smith, H. L., & Kutney-Lee, A. (2012). Patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of hospital care: cross sectional surveys of nurses and patients in 12 countries in Europe and the United States. BMJ, 344(2), e1717. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e1717 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    5. Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Ball, J., Bruyneel, L., Rafferty, A. M., & Griffiths, P. (2018). Patient satisfaction with hospital care and nurses in England: an observational study. BMJ Open, 8(1), e019189. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019189 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    6. Almeida, S., Nascimento, A., Lucas, P. B., Jesus, É., & Araújo, B. (2020). RN4CAST Study in Portugal: validation of the Portuguese version of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. Aquichan, 20(3), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.5294/aqui.2020.20.3.8 Go to original source...
    7. Ausserhofer, D., Schubert, M., Desmedt, M., Blegen, M. A., De Geest, S., & Schwendimann, R. (2013). The association of patient safety climate and nurse-related organizational factors with selected patient outcomes: a cross-sectional survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 50(2), 240-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.04.007 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    8. Bae, S. H. (2011). Assessing the relationships between nurse working conditions and patient outcomes: systematic literature review. Journal of Nursing Management, 19(6), 700-713. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2834.2011.01291.x Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    9. Choi, S. P., Cheung, K., & Pang, S. M. (2013). Attributes of nursing work environment as predictors of registered nurses' job satisfaction and intention to leave. Journal of Nursing Management, 21(3), 429-439. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2834.2012.01415.x Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    10. Jarošová, D., & Zeleníková, R. (2017). Škála pracovního prostředí ošetřovatelské péče (PES-NWI) [The Czech version of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI)]. https://dokumenty.osu.cz/lf/uom/uom-publikace/pracovni-prostredi-spoluprace-kompetence/pes-nwi-cz.pdf
    11. Kalisch, B. J., & Williams, R. A. (2009). Development and psychometric testing of a tool to measure missed nursing care. JONA: Journal of Nursing Administration, 39(5), 211-219. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0b013e3181a23cf5 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    12. Kramer, M., & Hafner, L. P. (1989). Shared values: impact on staff nurse job satisfaction and perceived productivity. Nursing Research, 38(3), 172-177. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    13. Kramer, M., & Schmalenberg, C. (1991). Job satisfaction and retention. Insights for the '90s. Part 1. Nursing, 21(3), 50-55. Go to original source...
    14. Kramer, M., & Schmalenberg, C. (2004). Development and evaluation of essentials of magnetism tool. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 34(7), 365-378. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005110-200407000-00010 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    15. Kramer, M., & Schmalenberg, C. (2005). Revising the Essentials of Magnetism tool: there is more to adequate staffing than numbers. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 35(4), 188-198. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005110-200504000-00008 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    16. Kutney-Lee, A., Wu, E. S., Sloane, D. M., & Aiken, L. H. (2013). Changes in hospital nurse work environments and nurse job outcomes: an analysis of panel data. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 50(2), 195-201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.07.014 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    17. Lake, E. T. (2002). Development of the practice environment scale of the Nursing Work Index. Research in Nursing & Health, 25(3), 176-188. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.10032 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    18. Lake, E. T., & Friese, C. R. (2006). Variations in nursing practice environments: relation to staffing and hospital characteristics. Nursing Research, 55(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006199-200601000-00001 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    19. Lake, E. T. (2007). The nursing practice environment: measurement and evidence. Medical Care Research and Review, 64(Suppl 2), 104-122. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077558707299253 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    20. Lake, E. T., Sanders, J., Duan, R., Riman, K. A., Schoenauer, K. M., & Chen, Y. (2019). A meta-analysis of the associations between the Nurse Work Environment in hospitals and 4 sets of outcomes. Medical Care, 57(5), 353-361. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000001109 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    21. Lake, E. T., Hallowell, S. G., Kutney-Lee, A., Hatfield, L. A., Del Guidice, M., Boxer, B. A., Ellis, L. N., Verica, L., & Aiken, L. H. (2016). Higher quality of care and patient safety associated with better NICU work environments. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 31(1), 24-32. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000146 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    22. Lake, E. T., Riman, K. A., & Sloane, D. M. (2020). Improved work environments and staffing lead to less missed nursing care: a panel study. Journal of Nursing Management, 28(8), 2157-2165. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12970 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    23. Lee, S. E., & Scott, L. D. (2018). Hospital nurses' work environment characteristics and patient safety outcomes: a literature review. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 40(1), 121-145. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945916666071 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    24. Liu, X., Zheng, J., Liu, K., Baggs, J. G., Liu, J., Wu, Y., & You, L. (2018). Hospital nursing organizational factors, nursing care left undone, and nurse burnout as predictors of patient safety: a structural equation modeling analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 86, 82-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.05.005 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    25. McClure, M. L., & Hinshaw, A. S. (2002). Magnet hospitals revisited: attraction and retention of professional nurses (1st ed.). American Nurses Association, Inc.
    26. Nascimento, A., & Jesus, É. (2020). Nursing work environment and patient outcomes in a hospital context. A scoping review. Jona: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 50(5), 261-266. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000881 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    27. Norman, R. M., & Strømseng Sjetne, I. (2017). Measuring nurses' perception of work environment: a scoping review of questionnaires. BMC Nursing, 16, 66. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-017-0256-9 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    28. OECD/European Union. (2020, June 11). Health at a glance: Europe 2020: State of health in the EU cycle. OECD Publishing, Paris. https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/default/files/state/docs/2020_healthatglance_rep_en.pdf
    29. Park, S. H., Hanchett, M., & Ma, C. (2018). Practice environment characteristics associated with missed nursing care. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 50(6), 722-730. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12434 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    30. Trinkoff, A. M., Johantgen, M., Storr, C. L., Han, K., Liang, Y., Gurses, A. P., & Hopkinson, S. (2010). A comparison of working conditions among nurses in Magnet® and Non-Magnet® hospitals. Jona: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 40(7/8), 309-315. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0b013e3181e93719 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    31. Warshawsky, N. E., & Havens, D. S. (2011). Global use of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. Nursing Research, 60(1), 17-31. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0b013e3181ffa79c Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    32. Wei, H., Sewell, K. A., Woody, G., & Rose, M. A. (2018). The state of the science of nurse work environments in the United States: a systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 5(3), 287-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2018.04.010 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    33. You, L. M., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Liu, K., He, G. P., Hu, Y., Jiang, X. L., Li, X. H., Li, X. M., Liu, H. P., Shang, S. M., Kutney-Lee, A., & Sermeus, W. (2013). Hospital nursing, care quality, and patient satisfaction: cross-sectional surveys of nurses and patients in hospitals in China and Europe. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 50(2), 154-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.05.003 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    34. Zeleníková, R., Jarošová, D., Plevová, I., & Janíková, E. (2020). Nurses' perceptions of professional practice environment and its relation to missed nursing care and nurse satisfaction. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(11), 3805. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17113805 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content