title: Nurses' perceptions of their work environment in a Nursing Development Unit.
abstract: This descriptive study examined nurses' perceptions of their work environment in a Nursing Development Unit (NDU). A postal survey of 70 nurses working in three NDUs was conducted using the Work Environment Scale (WES) for data collection. The response rate was 76%. The aggregate scores from the WES indicate that the nurses surveyed were satisfied with their work environment. The ratings for the 10 subscales of the WES were higher than the norms given by the authors of the scale. However, the findings do not fully support the literature and previous research into nurses' satisfaction in NDUs. A significant finding of the study was the marked difference, in satisfaction with the work environment, between the three units surveyed. It is suggested that a larger scale study should be carried out to explore whether the findings of this study are reflected in other NDUs. Research into the management of change in NDUs is also suggested.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Studies, Institute of Health Care, University of Malta, G'Mangia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Avallone
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gibbon
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D015279:Organizational Culture; D013192:Staff Development / Q000379:methods*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D006113:United Kingdom