The Effects of Organizational Culture on Nursing Professionalism: Implications for Health Resource Planning

Abstract

The organizational structure of many hospitals conflicts with the practice of professional nursing, adversely affecting patient outcomes. The ability of nurses to practise in a professional manner may be influenced by the organizational culture of their work environment. Personal attributes may also play a role. Patient outcomes depend on the identification and promotion of scarce health resources. Personal investment theory was used as the conceptual foundation for this study because of its ability to blend environmental context and personal behaviours associated with motivation. Secondary data analysis was undertaken to determine whether organizational culture and personal sense of accomplishment can predict nursing professionalism. Multiple regression analysis showed that organizational culture predicted over 16% of the variance in nursing professionalism. Therefore, nursing professionalism and hospital environment featuring a strong organizational culture are two health resources that can promote improved patient outcomes.