Critical Care Nurses’ Work Environments 2008: A Follow-Up Report

Issues remain in the work environment that can impede quality of care, safety of patients, and nurses’ job satisfaction and retention.

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) began a major national campaign to actively promote and support healthy work environments in 2001.¹ Since then, AACN has implemented the Act Boldly Campaign,² conducted a strategic market research study to identify detailed information about healthy and unhealthy work environments,³ issued forceful position papers on the prevention of workplace violence and on zero tolerance for abusive behaviors,^4,5 completed a landmark national critical care survey that described critical care units and their environments,⁶ and, in January 2005, issued national standards for establishing and sustaining healthy work environments.⁷ 

In 2006, Gannett Healthcare Group (which includes Nursing Spectrum, NurseWeek, and www.Nurse.com), and Bernard Hodes Group (a leader in integrated talent solutions and a division of Omnicom)...