Nurses' perception on nursing work environment:gender difference analysis / 中华护理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare the difference of perception on nursing work environment between male and female nurses in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province.Methods Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index was used to measure nurses' perception on nursing work environment.Propensity score matching was used to control confounders when comparing the gender difference of nurses' perception on nursing work environment.Results Totally 3 456 nurses in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province were surveyed,and 190 of them were male nurses who were distributed with a significant higher proportion in tertiary hospitals,ICUs and emergency departments.Compared with female nurses,male nurses were significantly younger in age,had shorter working years and higher proportion of being single,contract employed,having associate degree or above for initial educational degree.Controlling confounders with propensity score matching,male nurses' perception on nursing work environment was significantly worse than females for three subscalescollegial nurse-physician relations,nursing foundations for quality of care,nurse manager ability,leadership,and support of nurses.Conclusion The proportion of male nurses in Guangdong Province should be raised.Distributed more in tertiary hospitals,ICUs and emergency departments,male nurses were characterized as being less experienced,more contract employed and having higher initial educational degree compared to female nurses.Worse perception on nursing work environment from male nurses indicated that nursing managers should attach more importance to male nurses to improve their orientation and in-service training,professional development support and collegial nurse-physician relations for their better perception on nursing work environment and retention.