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Practice Environment Scale

Instrument Author:

Lake, E. T.

Source title:

Development of the practice environment scale of the Nursing Work Index

Source:

Lake, E. T. (2002). Development of the practice environment scale of the Nursing Work Index. [Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov’t Research Support, U.S. Gov’t, P.H.S.Validation Studies]. Research in Nursing & Health, 25(3), 176-188.

Source Author:

Lake, Eileen T.

Journal Name:

Research in Nursing & Health

Volume:

25

Issue/Part:

3

Year:

2002

Pagination:

176-188

Abstract:

Five subscales were derived from the Nursing Work Index (NWI) to measure the hospital nursing practice environment, using 1985-1986 nurse data from 16 magnet hospitals. The NWI comprises organizational characteristics of the original magnet hospitals. The psychometric properties of the subscales and a composite measure were established. All measures were highly reliable at the nurse and hospital levels. Construct validity was supported by higher scores of nurses in magnet versus nonmagnet hospitals. Confirmatory analyses of contemporary data from 11,636 Pennsylvania nurses supported the subscales. The soundness of the new measures is supported by their theoretical and empirical foundations, conceptual integrity, psychometric strength, and generalizability. The measures could be used to study how the practice environment influences nurse and patient outcomes. Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Descriptors:

Accreditation
Attitude of Health Personnel
Awards and Prizes
Benchmarking
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Health Facility Environment/og [Organization & Administration]
Humans
Interprofessional Relations
Job Satisfaction
Nurse Administrators/px [Psychology]
Nurse Administrators/st [Standards]
Nursing Administration Research/mt [Methods]
Nursing Administration Research/st [Standards]
Nursing Staff, Hospital/og [Organization & Administration]
Nursing Staff, Hospital/px [Psychology]
Nursing, Supervisory/st [Standards]
Organizational Culture
Outcome Assessment (Health Care)/og [Organization & Administration]
Pennsylvania
Personnel Staffing and Scheduling/st [Standards]
Psychometrics
Questionnaires/st [Standards]
Workload/px [Psychology]

Number of questions:

31 items; 5 dimensions: (1)Nurse Participation in Hospital Affairs, (2)Nursing Foundations for Quality of Care, (3)Nurse Manager, Ability, Leadership and Support of Nurses, (4)Staffing and resource Adequacy, (5)Collegial-Nurse Physicians Relations

Response Options:

The four response categories were strongly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree.

Validity:

Construct validity was supported by higher scores of nurses in magnet versus nonmagnet hospitals.

Reliability:

Crohnbach’s alpha ranged from .71 – .84, reflecting Internal Consistency. Mean rater reliability also assessed. Article describes Construct and Content Validity in detail.
Researchers should review article for full details of psychometric properties estimates.

Subscale/Factors:

n/a

Sample Descriptors:

Adult

Staff nurse

Sample Items:

n/a

Measure Descriptors:

Nursing practice environment.

References:

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Instrument Availability:

Contact author: elake@nursing.upenn.edu

Article Availability:

http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&CSC=Y&NEWS=N&PAGE=fulltext&D=med…

Acronym:

PES-NWI

DOI:

DOI: 10.1002/nur.10032

ISBN:

n/a

ISSN:

0160-6891

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