The Staffing Climate in Nursing: Concept and Measurement

Purpose:
A new nursing work environment related construct called the Staffing Climate will be defined, and the measurement and testing of this new construct will be described. Examples of the use of Staffing Climate data will also be examined and its implications for nursing will be explored.

Significance:
A central staffing related construct fundamental to the work environment has remained undefined and unstudied until now. The new concept of the Staffing Climate holds substantial promise for nursing as it relates to the adequacy of staffing, the climate and quality of care, and their predictors.

Strategy and Implementation:
This first of its kind measure was designed to tap work related factors beyond the number of staff that affect nurse's perceptions of the Staffing Climate on individual units or health service areas. The new Staffing Climate Survey™ includes such elements as teamwork, co-worker expertise, handoff communications, support from other departments, staffing, skill mix, patient turnover, patient care requirements, and other related dimensions. This online anonymous survey takes a registered nurse about 9 minutes to complete and was developed and tested in a variety of healthcare settings. A turnkey administration process was developed and a variety of staff communication methods were created, assessed, and refined. A comprehensive results report plan with benchmarks was also developed.

Evaluation:
Three survey scales were identified by Factor analysis (n=2,312) including: Staffing Adequacy, Care Climate, and Care Quality. Cronbach's alpha ranged from .87-.94 for the three factors. Predictive analyses also provided further evidence of construct validity for the new Staffing Climate measure.

Implications for Practice:
As a valid, reliable, relevant measure, the Staffing Climate Survey™ provides important evidence for staffing, quality, and care climate decisions. Resulting in actionable data at baseline and comparative data over time, this new measure establishes an additional best practice source for leaders.