Evidence mapPaperPMID 39844513Full record

Observational studyJournal of advanced nursing2025

Planned Changes to Nurse Leadership, Staffing and Skill-Mix: Impact on the Working Environment, Job Satisfaction and Intention to Leave.

Noeleen Brady, Selena O'Connell, David Gilligan, Caoimhe Madden, Lisa Gannon, Victoria Howson, Jane E Ball, Aileen Murphy, Peter Griffiths, Christine Duffield and 3 more

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of advanced nursing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Noeleen BradyUniversity College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4280-2225
Selena O'ConnellUniversity College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4563-2944
David GilliganUniversity College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5162-2460
Caoimhe MaddenUniversity of Galway, Galway, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5542-7106
Lisa GannonUniversity College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1050-3173
Victoria HowsonUniversity College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0510-0193
Jane E BallUniversity of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8655-2994
Aileen MurphyUniversity College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3062-0692
Peter GriffithsUniversity of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2439-2857
Christine DuffieldUniversity of Technology and Edith Cowan University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6534-8743
P Anne ScottUniversity of Galway, Galway, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5790-8066
Vera J C Mc CarthyUniversity College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7573-7961
Jonathan DrennanUniversity College Cork, Cork, Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7365-4345

Funding

Department of Health and the Health Research Board FSN-2017-001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionJob satisfaction and intention to leave have been consistently linked to the working environment. However, there are few studies of interventions for improving the environment or staff outcomes.

aimTo determine the impact of implementing a framework for safe nurse staffing on the environment and staff outcomes. This involved an assessment of required nursing hours per patient day, supernumerary nurse in charge and minimum 80:20 skill-mix, with intentional changes in staffing if required.

designA pre-post observational design.

methodsThis was a prospective observational study in six medical and/or surgical wards across three acute hospitals in Ireland. The outcomes were measured pre- and post-implementation, and included the environment, using the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index; and job satisfaction and intention to leave using a dichotomised 4-point scale. OUTCOMES: Changes in staffing levels, adjustments to skill-mix and the supervisory role of the ward leader were seen following the implementation. A multilevel model found significant increases over time on three of the five Nursing Work Index subscales: Staffing and Resource Adequacy, Collegial Nurse-Physician Relations, and Nurse Participation in Hospital Affairs. Job satisfaction increased and intention to leave decreased, although the differences were not statistically significant. Increased job satisfaction was significantly associated with Staffing and Resource Adequacy, Collegial Nurse Physician Relations and Nurse Manager, Leadership and Support. A decreased odds of intention to leave was associated with increased job satisfaction.

conclusionThere were significant improvements in the environment following the implementation of the Framework. Three of the practice environment subscales were significantly associated with job satisfaction, while job satisfaction is a predictor of intention to stay. This study indicates that intentional changes to staffing can result in improvements to working environments which may in turn have an impact on job satisfaction and furthermore, on intention to stay. IMPACT: This study investigated intentional changes to nurse staffing in medical and surgical wards, examining the impact pre- and post-implementation. This study underlined that when staffing is based on a systematic approach, based on a Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing, a subsequent improvement can be seen in staff's perceptions of the work environment, along with improvements in staff outcomes. This research will impact on staff working in acute settings as a means of determining staffing and improving outcomes using a Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing. REPORTING

methodSTROBE checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Indexed as

Job SatisfactionLeadershipNursing Staff, HospitalPersonnel Staffing and SchedulingPersonnel TurnoverWorkplaceAdultFemaleHumansIntentionIrelandMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesWorking Conditionsadult inpatient settingintentional changesintention to leavejob satisfactionmedical and surgical wardspre‐post studysafe staffingskill‐mixworking environment

Identifiers

PMID39844513
PMCPMC12371854

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.