Work environment According to the business dictionary, the work environment includes the physical geographical location as well as the immediate surroundings of the workplace, such as a construction site or office building. There are typically other workplace factors relating to the place of employment like the standard of the air, noise level, and extra benefits and advantages of employment such as free child care or unlimited coffee, or adequate parking (Business Dictionary, 2016). The work environment can be described as an environment in which nurses are working (Jain and Kaur, 2014). It has been defined as physical work environment, human work environment, and organizational environment. Physical work …show more content…
environment is the physical aspect of the working area such as location, lighting, appliances, etc. The human work environment is a relationship between the individuals with their co-workers (Tio, 2014). The organizational environment consists of systems, practices, procedures, attitudes and values which operate under the control of management (Yusuf and Metiboba, 2012). Akintayo (2012) stated that work environment refers to the immediate task and national environment where an organization draws its feedbacks, processes, and outcomes in form of products or services for public consumption. The task and the national environment includes factors such as supplier’s influence, the client’s role, stakeholders, the national economy, technology, socio-cultural factors, regulations, managerial philosophies, and policies. All of them go a long way to influencing the psychology and attitude individual’s towards work. Also work environment can be defined as the organizational characteristics of the workplace that allow or constrict professional nursing practice (Kelly et al., 2013). A healthy work environment refers to an organization where individuals are valued and priority is given to many features of the workplace that affect nurses' ability to work well to achieve the organizational goals (Kraybill, 2011). A healthy work environment is defined as a framework in which processes, policies, and systems are designed (Brady, 2010). So these nurses are able to accomplish organizational goals and personal satisfaction in their work. (Kieft et al.,2014). A healthy work environment is one in which nurses and managers work together to use a continuous improvement process to protect and support the health, safety, and well-being of all staff concerns in the physical and the psychosocial work environment (Burton, 2010). The positive work environment can be defined as a productive, satisfying, pleasant, and healthy work environment for everyone concerned. It is characterized by an emotionally intelligent workplace and sympathetic and friendly climate and a high degree of trust where there is a sense of confidence in quality leadership and open management. There are opportunities for career development, obvious disagreement systems which solve negative problems proactively without the fear of inaction and a high level of job satisfaction resulting from cooperation and teamwork (Charmine et al.,2011).
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Characteristics of healthy work environment Healthy workplaces are healing, empowering environment that has been correlated with the nurse and organizational commitment.
This environment is characterized by a high level of trust between staff and management; by nurses who treat each other in a respectful manner; by an organizational culture that promotes communication and cooperation qualified; and a climate in which individuals feel emotionally and physically safe (Kupperschmidt et al.,2010). A healthy work environment is conceptualized as a professional practice environment within which staff is skilled communicators and where interactions face-to-face open, positive and consistent with its skilled and ethical obligations. Achieving a healthy work environment is very important to nursing work (Cornett and O'Rourke, 2009; Stichler, 2009). According to International Council of Nursing (ICN), Positive practice environment is characterized by safety, occupational health, and wellness policies that address workplace risks, psychological and physical violence, discrimination, personal security issues, fair and controllable workloads and job demands. Moreover, the organizational climate reflects effective management and leadership practices, good peer support, worker participation in decision-making, shared values. Also, it depended on a good balance between work and private life, equal opportunity and treatment, opportunities for professional development and career improvement, skilled identity, supervision, …show more content…
autonomy, and support and control over practice (ICN, 2014).
Characteristics of unhealthy work environment Ritter (2010) stated that the unhealthy work environment has poor communication, abusive behavior, lack of respect, resistance to change, lack of vision or leadership, no confidence, and conflict with values.
Work environment foundation The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN, 2015 ) recognized six standards for maintaining and establishing a healthy work environment. These standards are skilled communication, effective decision-making, true collaboration, meaningful recognition, appropriate staffing, and authentic leadership. Skilled communication standard, nurses must be as competent in communication skills as they are in clinical skills. Communication is the fourth element of a healthy working relationship. Communication must be open, direct, honest, and predominantly positive in nature (Manion, 2012). Effective decision making by nurses has been identified as an important standard. Nurses must be valued and involved in the policy, direction, and evaluation of clinical care and leading organizational operations (AACN,
2015). True collaboration standard is an ongoing process that has built over time, resulting in a work environment where there was a culture where decision making and mutual communication between nurses and other health care professionals was the norm. Nurses must be relentless in pursuing and promoting true collaboration (AACN, 2015). Meaningful recognition standard, nurses must be recognized and must recognize others for the value that each brings to the work of the organization. Feedback helps inform staff about their performance (Lefton, 2012). Appropriate staffing standard ensures an effective balance between patient needs and nurses’ competencies. Adequate staffing is one of the many variables in the nursing workplace that can have a direct effect on the quality of patient care (Hinno et al., 2011). Authentic leadership standard was the ability of nurse leaders to be genuine and fully integrate the need for a healthy work environment, live genuinely and engage others in its achievement and this required skilled leaders