A framework for the assessment of nursing taks and environmental demands

Abstract

The nursing profession is pivotal to the delivery of healthcare services within the UK National Health Service (NHS). However, studies have shown that an increasing number of older nurses are leaving the NHS as a result of the physical and cognitive demands of the nursing job. In particular, a growing body of literature suggests that ward nurses are at risk of sustaining work-­‐related injuries due to the demands of their job. Responding to these challenges, the aim of this PhD research project was to develop a framework to support NHS ward nurses in the ward environment, by exploring how the architectural design features of NHS hospital wards could be improved to create a better fit between ward nurses and their work environment, by applying the Person-­‐ Environment Fit theory.
The Nursing Tasks and Environmental Assessment Framework (NTEA Framework) consists of two components. The Nursing Tasks Demand Matrix (NTDM), which provides a nuanced understanding of nursing tasks on wards and the Ward Environment Assessment Tool (WEAT), which is used to conduct Post-­‐Occupancy Evaluation of hospital wards. The two together forms the NTEA Framework, which offers a holistic approach to improving nurses’ quality of life in the workplace. The NTEA Framework may be used by facilities managers, human resource managers, occupational health advisors, ward managers and the NHS management, for refurbishments decisions, in drafting nurses’ job descriptions, to perform occupation health screening and for the assessment of the adequacy of NHS healthcare estates for ward nurses. The NTEA Framework is also a benchmarking information tool that could inform design of healthcare facilities.