Nursing subunit technology: a replication.
Overton, Schneck, and Hazlett's (1977) measurement of nursing subunit technology was replicated using 157 subunits of 9 types located in 24 hospitals in Alberta. A 21-item questionnaire was given to nurses, and the answers were subjected to factor analyses. Results indicated three dimensions of technology: instability, uncertainty, and variability. Because of the similarity of these variables to those in the Overton, Schneck, and Hazlett study, the results suggested a high degree of construct validity for the measure. The technological dimensions also differentiated among the types of subunits in the same pattern as in the original study. A relatively quick method of obtaining measures of instability, uncertainty, and variability by using composite scores was tested and found reliable.
D000416:Alberta; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006302:Health Services Research; D009736:Nursing Process; D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires