NURSES PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR WORK-ENVIRONMENT IN A NURSING DEVELOPMENTUNIT

This descriptive study examined nurses: perceptions of their work envi ronment in a Nursing Development Unit (NDU). A postal survey of 70 nur ses working in three NDUs was conducted using the Work Environment Sca le (WES) for data collection. The response rate was 76%. The aggregate scores from the WES indicate that the nurses surveyed were satisfied with their work environment, The ratings for the 10 subscales of the W ES were higher than the norms given by the authors of the scale. Howev er, the findings do not fully support the literature and previous rese arch into nurses' satisfaction in NDUs. A significant finding of the s tudy was the marked difference, in satisfaction with the work environm ent, between the three units surveyed. It is suggested that a larger s cale study should be carried out to explore whether the findings of th is study are reflected in other NDUs. Research into the management of change in NDUs is also suggested.