ENVIRONMENTAL TURBULENCE - IMPACT ON NURSE PERFORMANCE

Changes in the external regulatory environment have created turbulence in the internal hospital environment. Nursing administrators most cre ate and maintain clinical environments that support practice; however. little is known about the effects of the dramatic changes in the heal thcare environment on nurse performance. The author discusses a study that analyzed the effects of environmental turbulence on nurses' job p erformance. One characteristic of a turbulent environment, the number of admissions to/discharges from a unit in a 24-hour period, had a neg ative impact on self-rated quality of performance. The findings give d irection to nurse administrators regarding efforts and resources requi red to support nurse performance in the unstable and rapidly changing healthcare environment.