National Nurse Work Environments - October 2021: A Status Report

Abstract

Background The health of nurse work environments has been shown to affect both patient and nurse outcomes. In 2005, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses published the AACN Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments: A Journey to Excellence, and a second edition was published in 2016. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses conducted critical care nurse work environment studies in 2006, 2008, 2013, 2018, and, most recently, October 2021, which was expanded to include registered nurses in all areas of practice. Objective To report the results of the October 2021 study with comparisons to previous studies and recommendations for continued improvement and to evaluate the current state of nurse work environments. Methods An online survey was used. A total of 9862 registered nurses responded to the survey; 9335 met the study criteria of currently practicing as a registered nurse. Results The health of nurse work environments has declined dramatically since the 2018 study. However, as in 2018, evidence of a positive relationship exists between implementation of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Healthy Work Environment Standards and the health of nurse work environments, between the health of nurse work environments and job satisfaction, and between job satisfaction and the intent of nurses to leave their current positions or to stay. Conclusion It is time for bold, intentional, and relentless efforts to create and sustain healthy work environments that foster excellence in patient care and optimal outcomes for patients, nurses, and other members of the health care team.

Promoting Nurse Manager Professional Well-being

“…The NOA Principles and Elements of the Healthy Practice Environment, also endorsed by the board of directors of the AONL, 7 include 9 elements, which also apply to the framework. Subsequently, the AACN established standards for creating HWEs previously mentioned and applicable to the NM 5,6 Table 2. displays the domains of these 3 views of the healthy environment.…”

“…Subsequently, the AACN established standards for creating HWEs previously mentioned and applicable to the NM. 5,6 Table 2 displays the domains of these 3 views of the healthy environment.…”

“…Healthy work environments (HWE) have been widely examined across care settings 5-8 . In 2005, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) first published standards for establishing and maintaining an HWE with continued assessment; the most recent study in 2022 separated responses of nurses and NMs and was inclusive of nurses working outside of critical care 6 .…”

Travel Nursing and the Demise of the Virtue-Script: Steps to a New Beginning

“…A recent survey by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses offers evidence that that health of the workplace has substantially declined (Ulrich et al, 2022). While we do not have specific data on overall patient outcomes across settings during the workforce fluxes of COVID-19, this study offers important clues.…”

“…We also need real solutions for violence and bullying in the workplace, which has only escalated since the pandemic (Ulrich et al, 2022). Advocacy for the federal legislation proposed in the 117 th Congress, H.R.1195, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act , is time well spent and a beginning solution.…”