Assessing Healthy Work Environment: A Rapid Assessment Tool

Hrabe, David P.

Saturday, April 13, 2013: 9:20 AM

David P. Hrabe, PhD, RN
College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Carol Stevens, PhD, RN
College of Nursing & Health Innovation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
Mary Z. Mays, PhD
School of Nursing and Health Professions, Brandman University, Tucson, AZ

Learning Objective 1: Describe the development of the Healthy Work Environment (HWE) instrument.

Learning Objective 2: Discuss how the HWE can be used in assessing work environments.

Abstract: A 12-item instrument based on the standards for a healthy work environment developed by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses was used to assess nurses’ work environment during change projects in a large hospital system. The instrument was used in samples of direct care nurses, nurse managers, and administrators. Six items measured the individual’s contribution to the work environment and six measured co-workers’ perceived contributions. Each item was graded on a scale from ‘A = well above average’ to ‘F = failing’. Psychometric evaluation of the instrument demonstrated excellent reliability and validity in the context in which it was tested (Mays, Hrabe, & Stevens, 2011). However, qualitative analysis of the data indicated that the instrument could be modified to be applicable to a broader array of disciplines and settings. To do so would require (a) altering each item to focus on a single attribute, (b) simplifying the language to state the standards in inter-professional terms, and (c) lowering the reading level to make it more accessible to all workers. The second phase of this program of research is testing the effects of these changes on the feasibility, utility, reliability and validity of the instrument when used with nursing faculty, administrators and new graduates.

See more of: CLINICAL SESSION: Leaders Creating Healthy Work Environments
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