Nurse’s Perception of Practice Environment and Its Relation to Quality of Patient Care in Port Said Selected Governmental Hospitals

Background:Nurses practice environment has been identified as an important factor in improving the quality and safety of hospital care. However, there are few studies that assess the characteristics of the hospital work environment and its impact on patient outcomes. Aim of the study: To evaluate the characteristics of the nurses’ practice environment in relation to quality of patient care as perceived by staff nurses: Subjects & methods: Research design: Quantitative descriptive design was utilized. Setting: This research was carried out in four selected governmental hospitals in Port Said city. These hospitals are; Port Said General Hospital; El-Nasser Psychiatric Mental health and Port –Fouad. Those hospitals affiliated to Ministry of Health. Subjects included (300) of staff nurses who are working in previous setting. They participated in research study dealing with characteristics of nurses’ practice environment regarding the quality of patient care. Tool of data collection: One questionnaire was used to collect data about eight characteristics of nurses’ work environment and quality of patient care. Results: It revealed that the highest level of agreement score (75.7%) of characteristics of the nursing practice environment scale on the unit level was for supportive nurse manager relationships, followed by working with other nurses who are clinically competent while 17.5% of studied nurses reported agreement regarding support for education in nursing work environment. Conclusion: There were statistically differences between characteristics of nurses practice environment and quality of patient care at units’ levels from nurses’ perceptions. Recommendation: implement continuous training for nurses’ managers to enhance effective communication that create an environment which permits expressing ideas and encourage staff nurses to participate in decision-making and problem-solving process. Activate strategic plans need to include decentralization of decision-making