ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE FOR PROFESSIONALISM IN NURSING SERVICE.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 246
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between organizational climate and nurses' professionalism. Because the product of hospitals is professional service, the organizational climate for optimal performance of professional nurses in hospitals is one that maximizes professionalism. By identifying and implementing the climate that best allows nurses to retain their professional ideals and gives them the freedom to practice accordingly, nurses' frustration, disillusionment, turnover, absenteeism, and career drop out should be reduced. Professional, client, and organization can benefit.

Organizational climate is the pervasive ambience that influences members' attitudes and behaviors just as the weather influences feelings and activities. The climate model chosen for this research consists of six dimensions: clarity, commitment, standards, responsibility, recognition, and teamwork. Professionalism is the ideology and associated activities found in occupational groups that aspire to professional status. The American Nurses' Association named 20 Characteristics of a Professional Nursing Department that are intended to maximize professionalism. These 20 characteristics were examined for their relationships to climate and professionalism.

This research was correlational in design. The questionnaires included one on organizational climate, two on professionalism, one on the 20 characteristics, and organization and nurse demographics. Data collection involved site visits to 12 hospitals nationwide. A total of 1694 nurses participated representing 73.8% of the nurses solicited.

There were three major findings. Organizational climate did exist as an empirical reality as evidenced by analysis of variance among hospitals. The six climate dimensions were all statistically significantly correlated with professionalism. Some of the 20 characteristics were significantly correlated with both climate and professionalism. Additionally, several organization variables and many nurse demographic variables related significantly with climate and professionalism, and there were some significant score differences between managers and their subordinates.

Nursing executives are admonished to know their climate and to maximize the six dimensions in this model as well as the 20 characteristics to improve professionalism in nursing service. Useful planning information may be derived from the significant demographic relationships, and some current nursing management practices need to be reconsidered. Finally, managers should verify their perceptions with their subordinates' when planning changes to improve the climate.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-03, Section: B, page: 0795.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1985.

School code: 0055.