IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v54y2008i5p437-446.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Relationship Between Staff Members' Working Conditions and Patients' Perceptions of the Treatment Environment

Author

Listed:
  • Jan Ivar Rossberg

    (Ullevaal University Hospital, 0407 Oslo, Norway, and University of Oslo, 0407 Oslo, Norway, j.i.rxssberg@medisin.uio.no)

  • Ingrid Melle

    (Ullevaal University Hospital, 0407 Oslo, Norway, and University of Oslo, 0407 Oslo, Norway)

  • Stein Opjordsmoen

    (Ullevaal University Hospital, 0407 Oslo, Norway, and University of Oslo, 0407 Oslo, Norway)

  • Svein Friis

    (Ullevaal University Hospital, 0407 Oslo, Norway)

Abstract

Background: The psychosocial climate of inpatient units has proved to be related to both patient satisfaction and outcome. Aims: The aims of the study were twofold: to study the relationship between patient and staff satisfaction, and to study the relationship between the patients' perception of the treatment environment and the perceived working conditions of the staff. Method: A total of 129 different patients completed the Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS) and a General Satisfaction Index (GSI) at 11 time points between 1981 and 2000. Staff members completed the Working Environment Scale-10 (WES-10) and the GSI. Z-scores were calculated to describe the fluctuations in the WAS, WES-10 and the GSI subscale scores. Results: The study revealed a strong correlation between patient satisfaction and staff satisfaction. Staff satisfaction correlated significantly with the WAS subscales of Practical orientation and Staff control. Furthermore, the study revealed a significant correlation between patient satisfaction and staff members' perception on the WES-10 subscale of Self-realization. Conclusion: This exploratory study revealed that the working conditions of staff are related to both patient satisfaction and the patients' perceptions of the treatment environment. A satisfactory working environment for psychiatric staff members seems important for the quality of care perceived by patients.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Ivar Rossberg & Ingrid Melle & Stein Opjordsmoen & Svein Friis, 2008. "The Relationship Between Staff Members' Working Conditions and Patients' Perceptions of the Treatment Environment," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 54(5), pages 437-446, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:54:y:2008:i:5:p:437-446
    DOI: 10.1177/0020764008090689
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764008090689
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0020764008090689?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:54:y:2008:i:5:p:437-446. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.