Abstract

This project examines the need for enhancing healthcare work environments. Healthy work environments (HWEs) provide increased job satisfaction, retention, and most importantly improved patient outcomes. Unhealthy work environments can lead to job dissatisfaction and poor performance, burnout, high levels of stress, and poor patient care. “To foster healthy work environments, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) established six standards, which include skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, and authentic leadership” (AACN, 2016). To further study HWEs, the current work environment of a cardiac telemetry unit was assessed by way of interviews, a pre-survey, professional development sessions, and a post-survey. The pre-survey overall findings of this quality improvement project resulted in a moderately healthy standing, with the standard of true collaboration ranking lowest. Based on the pre-survey results, the project managers held professional development sessions for staff to review the pre-survey results and discuss how to improve the current work environment. A post-survey was then sent to the staff for feedback on the professional development session and lessons learned. Future recommendations, the long-term evaluation, and the significance of improving healthcare work environments were also all addressed. Continued practice and implementation of the AACN’s six standards into healthcare organizations will not only have an overall benefit, but also improvement in staff retention, satisfaction, and patient safety. Fostering a healthy work environment needs to be a priority for the future of healthcare.

Notes

References: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) (2016). AACN Standards for establishing and sustaining healthy work environments. https://www.aacn.org/media/aacn-website/~/nursing-excellence/standards/hwestandards.pdf


Barnes B. & Lefton, C. (2023). The power of meaningful recognition in a healthy work environment. AACN Advanced Critical Care, 24(2), 114–116. https://doi.org/
Bourgault, A. M. (2023). Appropriate staffing is necessary for healthy work environments. Critical Care Nurse; 43(1): 7–9. https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2023932

Campbell, C. M., Swiger, P. A., Warshawsky, N., Li, P., Olds, D., Cramer, E., & Patrician, P. A. (2023). Measuring the work environment: The voice of the staff nurse. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 53(5), 284–291. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000001284

Johansen, M. L., de Cordova, P. B., Weaver, S. H. (2021). Exploration of the meaning of healthy work environments for nurses. Nurse Leader, 19(4), 383-389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2020.06.011


Jones, L., Cline, G. J., Battick, K. Burger, K. J., & Amankwah, E. K. (2019). Communication under pressure: A quasi-experimental study to assess the impact of a structured curriculum on skilled communication to promote a healthy work environment. Journal of Nurses in Professional Development, 35(5), 248-254. http://doi.org/10.1097/NND.0000000000000573

Lefton, C. (2012). Strengthening the workforce through meaningful recognition. Nursing Economics, 30(6), 331-355. http://www.nursingeconomics.net/necfiles/news/ND12_Lefton.pdf


Mabona, J. F., van Rooyen, D., Ham-Baloy, W. (2022). Best practice recommendations for healthy work environments for nurses: An integrative literature review. Health SA Gesondheid, 27(0), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v27i0.1788

Mihdawi, M., Al-Amer, R., Darwish, R., Randall, S., & Afaneh, T. (2020). The influence of nursing work environment on patient safety. Workplace Health & Safety, 68(8), 384–390. https://doi.org/10.1177/2165079920901533

Ulrich, B., Cassidy, L., Barden, C., Varn-David, N., & Delgado. S. A. (2022). National nurse work environments – October 2021: A status report. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 42(5), 58-70. https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2022798

Description

This quality improvement project utilizes the AACN framework to assess and implement strategies to enhance healthy work environments. Initially, the AACN assessment tool was sent to staff nurses on a cardiac telemetry and leadership interviews were conducted. Professional development sessions were offered addressing the topic of collaboration. Positive feedback from both the frontline nurses and the leadership team highlights the importance of fostering health work environments.

Author Details

Lead Presenter: Kelly O'Meara, MSN, MA - Kelly O'Meara's professional background includes a passion for leadership, community nursing and women's health. Recently, she graduated with her MSN from Lewis University in the Healthcare Systems Leadership track and is now starting on her DNP. Additionally, she studied sociology, earning a MA with her original qualitative thesis on the role of emotion labor in the field of obstetrical nursing. Kelly enjoys her current role at Northwestern Medicine, where she works as a Perinatal Educator, teaching prenatal classes to expecting parents.

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Presentation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Quality Improvement

Research Approach

Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice

Keywords:

Implementation science, Workforce, AACN Standards, Healthy Workplace

Conference Name

Creating Healthy Work Environments

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Conference Year

2025

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

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Fostering a Healthy Work Environment: Assessing and Implementing AACN Standards

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

This project examines the need for enhancing healthcare work environments. Healthy work environments (HWEs) provide increased job satisfaction, retention, and most importantly improved patient outcomes. Unhealthy work environments can lead to job dissatisfaction and poor performance, burnout, high levels of stress, and poor patient care. “To foster healthy work environments, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) established six standards, which include skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, and authentic leadership” (AACN, 2016). To further study HWEs, the current work environment of a cardiac telemetry unit was assessed by way of interviews, a pre-survey, professional development sessions, and a post-survey. The pre-survey overall findings of this quality improvement project resulted in a moderately healthy standing, with the standard of true collaboration ranking lowest. Based on the pre-survey results, the project managers held professional development sessions for staff to review the pre-survey results and discuss how to improve the current work environment. A post-survey was then sent to the staff for feedback on the professional development session and lessons learned. Future recommendations, the long-term evaluation, and the significance of improving healthcare work environments were also all addressed. Continued practice and implementation of the AACN’s six standards into healthcare organizations will not only have an overall benefit, but also improvement in staff retention, satisfaction, and patient safety. Fostering a healthy work environment needs to be a priority for the future of healthcare.