Effects of work environment on patient and nurse outcomes

Abstract

Background: Several parameters of the nurse's work environment lead to fewer patient complications and lower nurse burnout. The aim of this systematic review was the analysis of research data related to the effect of nurses' work environments on outcomes for both patients and nurses.

Methods: Medline was searched by using keywords: 'working conditions', 'work environment', 'nurses', 'nursing staff', 'patients', 'outcomes'.

Results: In total, 10 studies were included, of which 4 were cross-sectional and the remaining were descriptive correlational studies. Patients who were hospitalised in units with good work environments for the nurses were more satisfied with the nursing care than the patients in units with poor work environments. Nurses who perceived their work environment to be good experienced higher job satisfaction and lower rates of burnout syndrome.

Conclusions: A good work environment constitutes a determinant factor for high care quality and, at the same time, relates to improved outcomes for the nurses.

Keywords: Burnout; Nurses; Outcomes; Patient satisfaction; Staffing; Working environment.