Master´s thesis: The role of Magnet hospital work environment in patients’ and nurses’ outcomes
Magnet designation may be a solution to the challenges of the health-care sector. Usha Adhikari’s and Mamata Thakali's Master's thesis provides evidence that Magnet hospitals have better professional practice environment as well as nurses’ and patients’ outcomes.
Usha Adhikari’s and Mamata Thakali's Master’s Thesis for Master’s degree programme in Global Development and Management in Health care explored the characteristics of Magnet hospital work environment and its impact on nurses’ and patients’ outcomes.
The results of the study provide evidence that Magnet hospitals have better professional practice environment, nurses’ and patients’ outcomes. Pursuing Magnet designation can be a solution approach in today’s challenging healthcare context.
The results also show that nurse work environment attributes have a high impact on nurses, patients and organizational outcomes. The results have significant implications for nurse leaders and healthcare leaders considering the impact of nurse work environment. The study aims to provide theoretical knowledge and evidence to the HUS hospital in specific and other hospitals on Magnet hospital assisting them in Magnet designation application process. Likewise, it can provide guidelines to the future researchers.
Better nurse and patient outcomes in Magnet hospitals
It is the combination of special structures and the eight essentials of EOM that forms the fundamental characteristics of Magnet hospital work environment which contributes to professional practice environment, improved nurse work environment, and better nurse and patient outcomes. The special structures are shared governance, transformational nursing leadership, interdisciplinary collaboration, workplace stability, and structural empowerment. The attributes of EOM are competent nurses, good nurse-physician relationship, support for education, adequate nursing staffing, paramount concerns for the patient, nurses’ autonomy, supportive nurse manager and control over nursing practice.
The findings show that Magnet hospitals have better nurse and patient outcomes. Positive nurse outcomes such as nurse retention, reduced workload, reduced burnout and higher level of nurse job satisfaction were identified. Positive patient outcomes such as low mortality rate, low infection rate, decrease length of stay in hospital and high-quality patient care were identified.
As a crucial finding, the study shows that Magnet hospital characteristics can be procreated in any healthcare settings independent of the Magnet designation through the Magnet structures and structural empowerment. The power, authority and resources provided by an institution determine nurses’ capacity in providing high quality care and preventing errors that risk for patient safety.
Hospital leadership should promote empowerment
Managers can promote patient safety by creating empowering work environment that promotes professional nursing practice. Additionally, the whole empowerment was highly correlated to management ability and nursing participation among the Magnet hospital characteristics. It suggests that hospital leadership should provide adequate access to empowering structures. Nurse leaders in Magnet hospitals are highly empowered which enables them to support and empower nurses optimally. Since, the Magnet designation is awarded to those who already have better performances, further studies are required to prove if the achieved outcomes are result of Magnet designations alone. Likewise, positive outcomes in several non-Magnet hospitals cannot be disregarded.
This thesis is a part of Master’s degree in Global Development and Management in Health care at Laurea University of Applied Science. This thesis is completed as a combined work by two authors in the same study area with similar interest. The thesis followed Integrative literature review method.
The Master's thesis can be accessed through Theseus.
Application period for the Master's programme Global Health and Crisis Management is now open! The Programme has replaced the Master's programme in Global Development and Management in Health care.
Authors:
Usha Adhikari
Master’s degree in Global Development and Management in Health care
email: datsmeusha@gmail.com
Mamata Thakali
Master’s degree in Global Development and Management in Health care
email: mthakali755@gmail.com