New nurses' perceptions of professional practice behaviours, quality of care, job satisfaction and career retention

Abstract

Aim: To test a model examining the effects of structural empowerment and support for professional practice on new graduate nurses' perceived professional practice behaviours, perceptions of care quality and subsequent job satisfaction and career turnover intentions.

Background: The nursing worklife model describes relationships between supportive nursing work environments and nurse and patient outcomes. The influence of support for professional practice on new nurses' perceptions of professional nursing behaviours within this model has not been tested.

Methods: Structural equation modelling in Mplus was used to analyse data from a national survey of new nurses across Canada (n = 393).

Findings: The hypothesised model was supported: χ²(122) = 346.726, P = 0.000; CFI = 0.917; TLI = 0.896; RMSEA = 0.069. Professional practice behaviour was an important mechanism through which empowerment and supportive professional practice environments influenced nurse-assessed quality of care, which was related to job satisfaction and lower intentions to leave nursing.

Conclusion: Job satisfaction and career retention of new nurses are related to perceptions of work environment factors that support their professional practice behaviours and high-quality patient care.

Implications: Nurse managers can support new graduate nurses' professional practice behaviour by providing empowering supportive professional practice environments.

Keywords: career turnover; empowerment; job satisfaction; nursing; patient care quality; professional practice behaviours.