Abstract
A healthy work environment significantly affects nurse outcomes such as burnout and retention, but also physical and mental health-- for nurses as well as for the patients for whom they provide care. Black/African Americans (BAAs) face numerous and unique challenges from systemic discrimination that contribute to health-related disparities and numerous physical and psychological challenges. Given the inherent challenges BAAs face and the need for supportive work environment for nurses, this study examined how ethnicity was associated with perceptions of work environment and personal health, focusing on BAA nurses to identify specific challenges and areas for improvement. This cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study used the World Health Organization Healthy Workplace Model as a framework. Secondary data from the American Nurses Association’s Modified ANA Health Risk Assessment (ANA HRA-M), collected between 2017 to 2019, included 17,718 licensed nursing personnel across the United States. The Nurse Safety Scale was created with HNHN items to measure nurse perceptions of work environment. Other survey items assessed general health, demographics, and work-related factors. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, multiple linear and binary logistic regression. Findings indicated while BAA nurses had somewhat positive regard for their workplace overall, challenges with overwork, peer and patient aggression, and biological and psychosocial safety hazards existed. Additionally, BAA nurses reported more days affected by pain and poor physical or mental health than their White and Asian counterparts. Perception of safer work environment was linked to fewer days affected by these health issues; for each one-unit increase in the Nurse Safety Scale, nurses experienced 0.261 fewer days affected by pain and physical or mental health (p < 0.001). White nurses were more likely to report better general health than BAA nurses (OR = 1.182, p = 0.051), although this was marginally significant. For each one-unit increase in the Nurse Safety Scale, the odds of reporting good to excellent health increased by 4.8% (p < 0.001). These results highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve the work environment for BAA nurses, focusing on their safety and health.
LLU Discipline
Nursing
School
School of Nursing
First Advisor
Elizabeth Johnston Taylor
Second Advisor
Salem Dehom
Third Advisor
Ellen D’Errico
Fourth Advisor
Patti Radovich
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Level
Ph.D.
Year Degree Awarded
2024
Date (Title Page)
6-2024
Language
English
Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings
Black or African American; Ethnicity; Burnout, Professional; Working Conditions; Nurses
Type
Dissertation
Page Count
XVI, 193 p.
Digital Format
Digital Publisher
Loma Linda University Libraries
Copyright
Author
Usage Rights
This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.
Recommended Citation
Martin, Nia M., "Comparing Nurses’ Perceptions of Work Environment and Health by Ethnicity" (2024). Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects. 2676.
https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/2676
Collection
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Collection Website
http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/
Repository
Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives
