The impact of the work environment on the health-related quality of life of Licensed Practical Nurses: a cross-sectional survey in four work environments

BACKGROUND: Nurses are known to have negative health outcomes related to their work. While it is acknowledged that nursing work is associated with things like back injuries and burnout, there is limited evidence as to what factors in the work environment contribute to these issues. PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to assess how Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) report their Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and how nurses’ health is impacted by their work environment. METHODS: These data used for analysis comes from a cross-sectional survey administered online to all LPNs in Alberta (2018). The survey collected data on the following variables: participant’s demographics, the SF-36 HRQoL, Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NW) and the CD-RISC measure of resilience. The beta distribution was used to model HRQoL outcomes. In instances where optimal health (score of ‘1’) was observed then an extended version of beta distribution (called one—inflated beta) was applied. RESULTS: 4,425 LPNs responded to the survey. LPNs (mean age: 40) report lower scores on each SF-36 subscale than the general Canadian population aged 35–44. LPNs who work ‘causal’ had better physical health, (OR 1.21, CI 1.11–1.32, p = 0.000), and mental health (OR 1.22, CI 1.12–1.30, p = 0.000) than LPNs who work full time, even after controlling for resilience. LPNs’ views on the adequacy of staffing and resources in their workplaces have an influence across all dimensions of health. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that improvements in the work environment could positively impact health outcomes and that adequate resourcing could support the nursing workforce. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12955-022-01951-9.