Magnet hospital attributes in nursing work environment and its relationship to nursing students' clinical learning environment and satisfaction

Abstract

Aims: To analyse nursing students' perception of the Magnet hospital attributes of the work environment at the hospitals where they perform their clinical placement and the relationship of this factor to their clinical learning environment and supervision, satisfaction and intention to stay in those hospitals once graduated.

Design: This study had a cross-sectional, correlational, design.

Methods: Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires from 180 nursing students at a university in southeast Spain between September-October 2018. Nursing work environment and clinical learning environment were measured using the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index and Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher scale, respectively. Students' satisfaction with the work environment and with the clinical learning process were measured using a four-point Likert scale developed by the researchers. Percentages, frequencies, mean, standard deviation, χ² test, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman and phi correlation were used to analyse the data.

Results: Nursing students' perception of greater Magnet-like features at work environment was associated with better clinical learning environment (Spearman rs = |0.22-0.54|; p < .01) and satisfaction with the work environment (Spearman rs = 0.18; p = .01) and with their learning process (Spearman rs = 0.21; p < .01). Greater intention to stay working in the hospital after graduation was significantly associated with greater satisfaction with the learning process (phi = 0.31; p < .01) and the work environment (phi = 0.23; p = .02).

Conclusion: Magnet-like features at the work environment lead to superior clinical learning environment and higher students' satisfaction, two factors that play a decisive role in their decision to stay at hospitals where they performed clinicals after graduation.

Impact: In the face of a global nurse shortage, nursing managers and faculty leaders should consider the improvement of nursing workplaces as a strategic alliance to promote satisfactory clinical learning experience and aid recruitment of nurses.

Keywords: clinical learning environment; clinical placement; intention to stay; learning; magnet; nursing; retention; satisfaction; students; work environment.