A study of perceived practice environment among nurses in Taiwan

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) issued the title, Positive Practice Environments: Quality Workplaces = Quality Patient Care, as the theme of International Nurses Day in 2007. An appeal is being made for all ICN National Nursing Associations to focus on improving practice environments and protecting nursing staff. The purpose of the study was to explore the perceived practice environment of nurses in Taiwan on the basis of the tool kit of positive environments designed by ICN, involving the eight dimensions of safety, supplies, resources, pay, continuing education, support, equipment, and respect. A self- administered Practice Environment Survey Scale was used. The findings indicated that participants were mostly female, the average age was 34.15 years old, and most of them worked in northern Taiwan (33.4%). The perceived practice environment score was determined as a percentage, and the average score among nurses was 65. The three lowest scores were recorded in the domains of pay, resources and equipment. There were significant differences in the perceived practice environ-ment scores among participants' demographic characteristics (p < .05). Nurses recorded more negative practice environment scores than administrators. The results will be useful in the formulation of nursing policy and in nursing administration.