2019 Volume 65 Issue 2 Pages 149-156
Objective: This study aimed to identify the influence of nursing practice environments and respiratory unit nurses’ demographic characteristics on nurses’ self-rated ability to care for patients with chronic respiratory diseases, particularly COPD.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were sent to 464 nurses in advanced treatment hospitals and other hospitals. A total of 257 nurses (55.4% response rate) returned completed answers. Questions were on areas such as demographic information and the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, which assesses nursing practice environments and self-rated ability across seven areas: “understanding disease”, “understanding patients”, “respiratory rehabilitation”, “helping patients and families”, “protecting the rights of patients and families”, “cooperating with other health workers”, and “being a role model”.
Results: A good relationship between nurses and physicians was positively associated with all aspects of self-rated nursing ability except “understanding disease” and “helping patients and families”. A specialist qualification in chronic care nursing, chronic respiratory nursing, palliative care, or intensive care, or being a certified therapist of respiration, was positively associated with all aspects of self-rated nursing ability except “protecting the rights of patients and families” and “cooperating with other health workers”. The nursing supervisor’s capacity was positively related to “cooperating with other health workers” and “being a role model”. Years of experience in working on a respiratory disease unit was positively associated with “being a role model”.
Conclusions: A specialist qualification and a better relationship with attending physicians enabled nurses to provide high-quality nursing for patients with chronic respiratory diseases.
