A quality of working life survey instrument for hospital nurses

Background: The high turnover rate for hospital nurses worldwide means that some nursing staff remain at their posts for only a few months. To fully understand the problem, it is necessary to evaluate the concepts, constructs, and units of the working life of professional nurses. Previous qualitative work has identified and defined an initial set of items relevant to the working life of nurses. Therefore, the aim of this research is to develop a valid questionnaire for use in further examining the working life quality of nurses. Purpose: This article reports on the development of a questionnaire that is valid and reliable for examining the quality of working life of nurses. Methods: Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were employed within two medical centers and six regional hospitals in Taiwan. Seven hundred registered nurses in medical or surgical wards with at least 2 years of nursing experience and a position below assistant manager in a medical or surgical ward were included as participants. Results: Previous qualitative research findings generated items for the questionnaire with content and construct. Six scales with 33 factors were identified. The scales addressed the aspects of organization, work, self-actualization, interrelationships, self-efficacy, and vocational concepts. These factors explained 63% of the total variance. The Cronbach's alphas ranged from.80 to.89, indicating acceptable internal consistency. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: The information obtained using the questionnaire may improve workplace audit outcomes, promote occupational health, and improve service quality.