Effect of Professional Nursing Practice Environment and Structure Empowerment on Nurses' Readiness for Change

Abstract

Background: Organizations are challenged with the need to implement changes in culture, structure, strategy,and process to adapt changing market. Thus change preparedness is a critical factor in successful change. To assistnurses to be prepared and ready for change, they require providing them with a safe, professional , empowered andsupportive environment. Aim: To assess the effect of professional nursing practice environment and structureempowerment on nurses’ readiness for change. Methods: Descriptive correlational design was utilized, and the studywas conducted on 252 nurses working at Timayy Al Imdid Central Hospital. Three tools were utilized, PracticeEnvironment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire and Readiness forChange Scale. Results: Over two thirds of nurses experienced moderate level of professional nursing practiceenvironment and structure empowerment, more than half of them had high level of readiness for change and theprofessional nursing practice environment, structure empowerment, and nurses' readiness for change showed highlystatistically significant positive correlations Conclusion: The professional nursing practice environment, structureempowerment, and nurses' readiness for change showed highly statistically significant positive correlations:.Recommendations: Providing adequate staffing, equipment and supplies as possible to maintain safe and professionalenvironment, Involving nurses in decision making to feel ready for change. Showing recognition and appreciation fornurses' work and effort, empowering them, and providing support especially in difficult situation and regular sharing intraining programs and workshops.