title: [Evaluation of the nurse working environment in health and social care intermediate care units in Catalonia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A favourable work environment contributes to greater job satisfaction and improved working conditions for nurses, a fact that could influence the quality of patient outcomes. The aim of the study is two-fold: Identifying types of centres, according to the working environment assessment made by nurses in intermediate care units, and describing the individual characteristics of nurses related to this assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational, descriptive, prospective, cross-sectional, and multicentre study was conducted in the last quarter of 2014. Nurses in intermediate care units were given a questionnaire containing the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) which assesses five factors of the work environment using 31 items. Sociodemographic, employment conditions, professional and educational variables were also collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From a sample of 501 nurses from 14 centres, 388 nurses participated (77% response). The mean score on the PES-NWI was 84.75. Nine centres scored a "favourable" working environment and five "mixed". The best valued factor was "work relations" and the worst was "resource provision/adaptation". Rotating shift work, working in several units at the same time, having management responsibilities, and having a master degree were the characteristics related to a better perception of the nursing work environment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In most centres, the working environment was perceived as favourable. Some employment conditions, professional, and educational characteristics of nurses were related to the work environment assessment.
authors.affiliation: Plan Director Sociosanitario, Departamento de Salud de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, España; Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: ingridbullich@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bullich-Marín
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Geriatría, Parc Salut Mar, Barcelona, España; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miralles Basseda
authors.affiliation: Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Torres Egea
authors.affiliation: Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España; Dirección General de Planificación e Investigación en Salud, Departamento de Salud de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Planas-Campmany
authors.affiliation: Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España; Dirección assistencial, Instituto Catalán de la Salud, Barcelona, España; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: María Eulalia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Juvé-Udina
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace
keywords: Ambiente de instituciones de salud; Enfermería geriátrica; Entorno laboral; Geriatric nursing; Health facility environment; Instituciones de atención intermedia; Intermediate care facilities; Nursing staff; Personal de enfermería; Working environment