Interprofessional collaboration as a mediator in the relationship between nurse work environment, patient safety outcomes and job satisfaction among nurses

BACKGROUND: As an important organisational feature, the nurse work environment has been associated with increased work effectiveness, reduced patient safety issues and improved care quality. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains unexplored.

AIM: This study aims to assess the mediating role of interprofessional collaboration in the relationships between nurse work environment, select patient safety outcomes and job satisfaction.

METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive study used five standardized scales and included 881 clinical nurses employed in select teaching hospitals in Oman.

RESULTS: Nurses who worked in teaching hospitals in Oman perceived their work environment as highly favourable. Nurse work environment was directly and indirectly associated with nurse-assessed quality of care, adverse patient events and job satisfaction, through interprofessional collaborations.

CONCLUSION: Findings of the study suggest that enhancing nurse work environments can be a potential strategy to foster interprofessional collaboration and improve job satisfaction and patient safety outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Organisational strategies to improve patient safety outcomes and job satisfaction in nurses can be facilitated by improving nurses' work conditions and enhancing interprofessional collaboration through supportive leadership, theory-driven approaches, obtaining hospital accreditation/certification and relevant workplace policies.