What interventions can improve the mental health nursing practice environment?

• Published in: International journal of mental health nursing Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 42 - 50
• Main Authors: Redknap, Robina, Twigg, Di, Towell, Amanda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Environment; Hospitals, Psychiatric - organization & administration; Hospitals, Psychiatric - standards; Humans; Intervention; Labor force; Mental Disorders - nursing; Mental health; Mental health services; nurse retention; Nurses; Nursing; nursing practice environment; practice environment scale; Professional practice; Psychiatric nurses; Psychiatric Nursing - education; Psychiatric Nursing - methods; Psychiatric-mental health nursing; Public health; Quality Improvement; Scarcity; Shortages; Surveys and Questionnaires; Western Australia; Australia; nursing practice environment; intervention; practice environment scale; mental health; nurse retention
• ISSN: 1445-8330; 1447-0349
• DOI: 10.1111/inm.12187

The nursing practice environment is an important factor for services to consider in the attraction and retention of a skilled workforce during future nursing shortages. Despite the significant number of international studies undertaken to understand the influence of the practice environment on nurse satisfaction and retention, few have been undertaken within the mental health setting. This paper reports on results from a survey conducted in a large Australian public mental health hospital to examine nurses' perceptions of their practice environment, and identifies interventions that could be implemented to improve the practice environment. The hospital is the only remaining, standalone public mental health hospital in Western Australia.