Investing in better work environments for nurses could help improve patient satisfaction, according to a study published in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality.
To assess how organizational factors affect nurse burnout and patient satisfaction, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 463 hospitals in four states. Researchers measured burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and referred to HCAHPS scores for satisfaction ratings.
They found 50 percent of hospitals with high nurse burnout rates have poor work environments. High levels of nurse burnout were also linked to lower patient satisfaction ratings.
Efforts to obtain Magnet designation or implement Magnet-like initiatives could help hospitals improve work environments for nurses, the researchers suggested.
"This includes fostering relationships between nurses, administrators and physicians, and ensuring that nurses have decision-making authority in their practice and adequate resources and time to do their work," lead author Margo Brooks Carthon, PhD, RN, associate professor at Penn Nursing, said in a press release.
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