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The important goals of Magnet® hospitals are to create supportive professional nursing care environments. A recently published paper found little difference in work environments between Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals. The aim of this study was to determine whether work environments, staffing, and nurse outcomes differ between Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals. A secondary analysis of data from a 4-state survey of 26,276 nurses in 567 acute care hospitals to evaluate differences in work environments and nurse outcomes in Magnet and non- Magnet hospitals was conducted. Magnet hospitals had significantly better work environments (t = -5.29, P < .001) and more highly educated nurses (t = -2.27, P < .001). Magnet hospital nurses were 18% less likely to be dissatisfied with their job (P <.05) and 13% less likely to report high burnout (P < .05). Magnet hospitals have significantly better work environments than non-Magnet hospitals. The better work environments of Magnet hospitals are associated with lower levels of nurse job dissatisfaction and burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of using a virtual environment (VE) versus traditional paper floor plans (FPs) to prepare nurses for wayfinding in a new hospital building. BACKGROUND: This study was designed to control for variables such as task complexity and individual ability that have been missed in other media comparison studies. METHODS: Thirty nurses were assigned to the VE or FP condition using a randomized block experimental design. Subjects were blocked by alternate ranks on spatial/navigational ability and computer attitude/ experience and randomly assigned to conditions. Nurses received instruction with either a VE or FP condition. Wayfinding tasks were then completed with trained observers at the new hospital under construction. RESULTS: The investigators found no significant differences between the wayfinding performance or post-intervention confidence levels of subjects. Instruction using both media improved wayfinding and navigation skills. Qualitative findings suggest that interactions of the instructional style, media, and learner influence information retention and transfer. CONCLUSIONS: Although the virtual media did not prove to be more effective than FPs, it was equally effective for learning wayfinding and navigation skills in a new hospital. Nursing leaders may want to consider use of 3-dimensional VEs as an early method to provide repetitive practice for learning how to navigate a new large-scale space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts for research papers presented at the October 2011 International Conference on Nursing Administration and Research that focus on topics such as nursing leadership, telehealth nursing, narratives on choosing a nursing career, and the transition of chief nurse executives to the roles of chief executive officer and chief operating officer.