Working Environment of Nurses in Public Referral Hospitals of West Amhara, Ethiopia, 2021

Abstract Background: Safe working environment is a key part, and professional right of nurses. But findings indicated nurses work environment as stressful and complex. The negative effects of a negative nurses’ work environment lead to poor nurse-sensitive patient outcomes, such as increased mortality, pressure ulcers, medication errors, and complications. It has also an effect on their professionalism, practice of patient’s handover. Studies have shown working conditions, professionalism, patient handover and nurse-sensitive patient outcomes are interrelated and form a critical foundation for promoting patients’ and nurses’ safety in hospitals. However, in Ethiopia, there is scarcity of data on this issue. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the working environment of nurses in Public Referral Hospitals in Public Referral Hospitals of West Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia, 2021.Methods: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 nurses from January to February 2021. Random sampling was used to select nurses from each hospital. Structured, self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. EPI- DATA 3.1 was used for data entry and SPSS version-23 software for data analysis. Descriptive statistics were made using statistical measurements. Frequency, percentages, means, and standard deviations were calculated. Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index tool was used to measure the outcome variable. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were computed to identify associated factors. Finally, texts, tables and graphs were used to report findings. Results: The response rate for the study was 96.2%. One hundred eighty eight (46.2%) nurses perceived that their working environment was conducive, while 219 (53.8 %,) perceived it as not conducive. Nurses who were working in pediatrics wards (AOR= 0.13, 0.02, 0.1) and nurses who gave care for 7-12 patients per day (AOR =0.21, 0.05, 0.98) were less likely to have a conducive working environment, respectively. Nurses who perceived the Ministry of Health to give focus to the nursing profession were 0.27 more likely to have a conducive environment (AOR= 0.27; 0.09, .82).Conclusion and recommendations: More than half of nurses reported that their working environment was not conducive to appropriate practice. Hence, introducing systems to improve participation of nurses in hospital affairs and patient care is essential. It is also important to give attention to nurses who are working at pediatrics wards, and for nurses who give care more than the standards.