Study of the Strengths and Weaknesses of Nursing Work Environments in Primary Care in Spain

Vicente Gea-Caballero, José Ramón Martínez-Riera, Pedro García-Martínez, Jorge Casaña-Mohedo, Isabel Antón-Solanas, María Virtudes Verdeguer-Gómez, Iván Santolaya-Arnedo and Raúl Juárez-Vela
Additional contact information
Vicente Gea-Caballero: Nursing School La Fe, Adscript Center of Universidad de Valencia, 46026 Valencia, Spain
José Ramón Martínez-Riera: Departamento Enfermería Comunitaria, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública e Historia de la Ciencia, Universidad de Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain
Pedro García-Martínez: Nursing School La Fe, Adscript Center of Universidad de Valencia, 46026 Valencia, Spain
Jorge Casaña-Mohedo: Health Department, Universidad Católica de Valencia, C/Quevedo 2, 46001 Valencia, Spain
Isabel Antón-Solanas: Department of Physiatry and Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, C/Domingo Miral s/n, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
María Virtudes Verdeguer-Gómez: Departament de Salut La Ribera, Atención Primaria, Ctra. Corbera, Alzira, 46600 Valencia, Spain
Iván Santolaya-Arnedo: Centro de Investigación Biomédica de la Rioja, Logrono, 26006 La Rioja, Spain
Raúl Juárez-Vela: Centro de Investigación Biomédica de la Rioja, Logrono, 26006 La Rioja, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Nursing work environments are defined as the characteristics of the workplace that promote or hinder the provision of professional care by nurses. Positive work environments lead to better health outcomes. Our study aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of primary health care settings in Spain. Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out from 2018 to 2019. We used the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index and the TOP10 Questionnaire of Assessment of Environments in Primary Health Care for data collection. The associations between sociodemographic and professional variables were analyzed. Results: In total, 702 primary care nurses participated in the study. Responses were obtained from 14 out of the 17 Spanish Autonomous Communities. Nursing foundation for quality of care, management and leadership of head nurse and nurse–physician relationship were identified as strengths, whereas nurse participation in center affairs and adequate human resources to ensure quality of care were identified as weaknesses of the nursing work environment in primary health care. Older nurses and those educated to doctoral level were the most critical in the nursing work environments. Variables Age, Level of Education and Managerial Role showed a significant relation with global score in the questionnaire. Conclusion: Interventions by nurse managers in primary health care should focus on improving identified weaknesses to improve quality of care and health outcomes.

Keywords: nursing; primary care; workplace; quality of health care; nurse’s role (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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