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.
Hanrahan
Nancy P
NP
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
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