Licenced practical nurses' perceptions of their work environments and their intention to stay: A cross‐sectional study of four practice settings

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to understand how licenced practical nurses perceive their work environments across different work settings and to analyse the association between these nurses’ perceptions of their work environments and their intentions to stay employed at their current nursing unit. DESIGN: A cross‐sectional descriptive survey was conducted with Licensed Practical Nurses in Alberta, Canada. METHODS: The study population consisted of 598 licenced practical nurses. Survey measures included demographic information, the Perceived Work Environment‐Nursing Work Index, and an intention to stay scale. Descriptive statistics were calculated and mean scores for perceptions about the work environment were compared by work setting. The associations between perceived work environment and intention to stay were analysed using linear regression. RESULTS: Overall, licenced practical nurses rated their work environment as mixed, with statistically significantly lower scores in acute care settings. Nurse manager ability and adequate staffing and resources were the highest contributing variables.