Measuring inpatient psychiatric environments: psychometric properties of the Practice Environment Scale-Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI).
Reliable and valid instruments are needed for evaluating complex inpatient psychiatric environments where psychiatric nurses work and patients get better. The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Workforce Index (PES-NWI) is an instrument commonly used in outcomes research to measure constructs of the practice environment. However, psychometric properties of the PES-NWI have not been tested in a psychiatric nurse population. This paper examines the psychometric properties of the PES-NWI using a sample of hospital based psychiatric registered nurses. The objective was to confirm the usefulness of the PES-NWI subscales to describe psychiatric inpatient nurse practice environments and generate reference values. Once established, researchers and administrators may use the PES-NWI to standardize the evaluation of inpatient psychiatric environments. Reference values could also be a tool for managers to target needed quality improvements and measure progress toward change in clinical environments.
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, Nursing Education Building #328, 420 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. nancyp@nursing.upenn.edu
Nancy P
NP
Hanrahan
D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires