Extending Work Environment Research into Home Health Settings

Organizational attributes in work environments that support nursing practice are theoretically associated with superior nurse and patient outcomes, and lower frequencies of adverse events. This study explored associations between organizational support for nursing practice in home health care agencies and (a) the frequency of nurse-reported adverse events, (b) nurse-assessed quality of care, (c) nurse job satisfaction, and (d) nurses' intentions to leave their employing agency. Data were collected from a sample of 137 registered nurses employed as home health staff nurses in the United States and analyzed using descriptive techniques and bivariate correlation. As anticipated, organizational support for nursing was negatively associated with nurse-reported adverse patient events and intent to leave, and positively associated with nurse-assessed quality of care and job satisfaction. These findings may be helpful to nursing administrators who seek to create work environments in home health agencies that maximize patient outcomes and nurse satisfaction.