title: The relationship of individual characteristics, perceived worksite support and perceived creativity to clinical nurses' innovative outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the relationship of individual characteristics, perceived worksite support and perceived personal creativity to clinical nurses' innovative outcome (receiving the Nursing Innovation Award).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Since the idea of applying creativity and innovation to clinical nursing practice and management was first advocated in the Nursing Administration Quarterly in 1982, the topic of nursing innovation has gained worldwide attention. To increase the prevalence of nursing innovation, it is important to identify and understand the related factors that influence nurses' innovative outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey design.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 32 award winners and 506 nonawarded clinical nurses in Taiwan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of creativity perceived by all participants was moderate-to-high. Individual characteristics (r = 0·61) and worksite support (r = 0·27) were both correlated with perceived creativity. Individual characteristics and worksite support showed some correlation as well (r = 0·21). Individual characteristics and worksite support could predict perceived creativity after controlling for demographic variables, but only individual characteristics had an effect on innovative outcome. Perceived creativity did not have mediation effects either between individual characteristics and innovative outcome or between worksite support and innovative outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical nurses' individual characteristics had a direct relationship to innovative outcome, whereas neither worksite support nor creativity was correlated with innovative outcome. Although worksite support did not show effects on innovative outcome, it was related to both perceived creativity and individual characteristics. As suggested by other scholars, there might be other related factors between creativity and innovative outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although worksite support did not have effect on clinical nurses' innovative outcome, it was related to individual characteristics. Hospital administrators or nursing directors can foster a supportive environment where creative nurses would be more likely to work and engage in innovative activities.
authors.affiliation: Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Linkou, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiu-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Shwu-Ru
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.forename: Ya-Chu
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Ching-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D003405:Creativity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009740:Nursing Staff; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D013624:Taiwan; D017132:Workplace
keywords: creativity; individual characteristics; nursing innovation; worksite support