87% of Critical Care Registered Nurses Committed to Staying in Field Despite Serious Challenges

A new survey released today by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), Nursing Spectrum, and the Bernard Hodes Group found that 87 percent of critical care registered nurses (RNs) plan to stay in the profession, even though verbal and physical abuse, sexual harassment and ineffective leadership were found to be significant problems.

The survey of more than 4,000 critical care RNs from every state, and the District of Columbia, was conducted to determine the health of critical care work environments, and nursesí satisfaction with nursing as a career.

The survey found that 88 percent of critical care RNs would definitely or probably recommend a nursing career to others, and only 2.6 percent of critical care RNs plan on leaving their current position to pursue another profession. Additionally, 86 percent rate the quality and outcomes of patient care in their work unit either excellent or good.

While most critical care RNs are satisfied with their profession, the survey found there are serious challenges in improving work environments for the countryís nurses. In the past year, 64 percent of critical care RNs reported experiencing verbal abuse, and 22 percent reported experiencing physical abuse. Almost one out of 5 critical care RNs had experienced sexual harassment in the past year. Almost all of the physical abuse came from patients, while verbal abuse came from a combination of patients, patientsí families or significant others, or physicians. Additionally, while the survey indicates RNs had high levels of respect for each other, respect for RNs by administrators and physicians was perceived to be low.

ìA healthy work environment is not only the most critical component of retaining and recruiting nurses, it is vital to assuring patient safetyî said Wanda Johanson, RN, MN, CEO of AACN. ìThat is why our top advocacy priority is AACNís Healthy Work Environment Initiative, an in-depth and continued effort to engage nurses, their colleagues and employers to recognize the urgency and importance of changing behaviors and creating systems to improve the environments in which nurses provide patient care.î

AACN established 6 essential standards to foster healthy work and care environments. Those standards are skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition and authentic leadership. Released last year, the AACN Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments, are available at www.aacn.org/hwe. They have been downloaded by more than 125,000 individuals since their release.

ìBernard Hodes Group recognizes the importance of the working environment on the recruitment, satisfaction and retention of critical care nurses and we were very interested to learn how all the nuances addressed in the AACN Healthy Work Environment Initiative impact the day to day life of the working RN. Our clients and their staff will all benefit greatly from understanding and addressing the issues gleaned from this important study. We are pleased to have been involved in this ground-breaking work,î said Karen A. Hart, RN, BSN, senior vice president, health care division, Bernard Hodes Group.

Other key report findings include:

High level nursing contributions are being regularly sacrificed: giving medications, doing procedures, monitoring and providing skin care and oral hygiene are most often completed, while comforting patients, teaching patients and their families, developing and updating care plans and preparing families and patients for discharge are far less often completed at the end of a nurseís shift.

45.9 percent of respondents indicated patients and patientís families provided the most meaningful recognition of nursesí contributions. This suggests that programs that facilitate recognition between patients and RNs, like the Cameos of Caring Nurse recognition program created by the University of Pittsburgh, would be beneficial.

More than 75 percent of respondents worked for organizations that provided in-house continuing education.
More than 50 percent of nurses were aware of the AACN Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments.

ìThis survey reveals a strong commitment and satisfaction of critical care nurses across the United States,î said Beth Ulrich, EdD, RN, CHE, vice president of professional and editorial services of Nursing Spectrum, and corresponding author of the study. ìNurses love nursing and consider patient care their highest priority. But this study also identifies pressing challenges in work environments of critical care nurses, and, more importantly, offers a starting point for dialog that can lead to solutions.î

Resources

Results of the survey will be released on September 25, 2006 at the Trends in Critical Care Nursing Conference, sponsored by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of AACN.

A survey summary will also be published in the October 2006 issue of Critical Care Nurse.

The September 25 issue of Nursing Spectrum and NurseWeek magazines will also carry a comprehensive review of this 2006 critical care RN work Environment Study.

The October issue of Health Care Matters, a Bernard Hodes Group publication, will feature a summary of the survey findings.