title: Using evidence-based leadership initiatives to create a healthy nursing work environment.
abstract: In an effort to create a healthy nursing work environment in a military hospital Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU), a facility-level Evidence Based Practice working group composed of nursing.Stakeholders brainstormed and piloted several unit-level evidence-based leadership initiatives to improve the IMCU nursing work environment. These initiatives were guided by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments which encompass: (1) skilled communication, (2) true collaboration, (3) effective decision making, (4) appropriate staffing, (5) meaningful recognition, and (6) authentic leadership. Interim findings suggest implementation of these six evidence-based, relationship-centered principals, when combined with IMCU nurses' clinical expertise, management experience, and personal values and preferences, improved staff morale, decreased staff absenteeism, promoted a healthy nursing work environment, and improved patient care.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nursing Science and Clinical Inquiry, Brooke Army Medical Center, 3551 Roger Brooke Dr, Ft Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA. ann.nayback@us.army.mil
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nayback-Beebe
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Forsythe
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Funari
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mayfield
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Thoms
authors.forename: Kimberly K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bradstreet
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D001363:Awards and Prizes; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003657:Decision Making; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing; D005260:Female; D006272:Health Facility Environment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016272:Occupational Health; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration*