The Health of Nurse Work Environments Affects the Health of Patients and Nurses

ABSTRACT

Healthier work environments have been associated with lower patient mortality and morbidity and patient safety, and with nurse physical and psychological safety, as well as with higher nurse job satisfaction and retention. Inadequate/inappropriate staffing endangers patients and also endangers nurses when they work long hours to cover staffing inadequacies and leaves them dissatisfied when they have to leave needed patient care undone. Next, do an honest, unbiased assessment of the work environment in your unit/organization.