Relationship between Health Care Organizational Culture and Professional Nurses' Autonomy

Abstract

Background : In the professional field of health care, organizational culture has been positively associated with elements of organizational performance and professional autonomy of nurses that contribute to the quality of services, such as nursing care, job satisfaction, patient and personnel safety, personnel turnover rate, and change of management process. Aim of the study: Examine the relationship between health care organizational culture and professional nurses' autonomy at Hosh Issa Central hospital, El-Beheira Governorate. Research design : A descriptive correlational research design was used. Setting : all inpatient care units (n=11) at Hosh Issa Central Hospital, El-Beheira Governorate. Subject: All head nurses and their assistants (n=22) and all staff nurses (n=267). Tools: Two tools were utilized Tool I: Organizational Culture Questionnaire. Tool II: Professional Nurses’ Autonomy Scale . Results and Conclusion : there was a positive correlation between total autonomy and its dimensions nursing practice environment, patient care management and educational back ground (r=0.934 p=0.000, r=0.975 p=0.000 and r=0.967 p=0,000 respectively), a positive correlation between total organizational culture and its internal and external focus dimensions namely empowerment (r=0.892 p=0.000), team orientation(r=0.937 p=0.000), patient focus (r=0.963 p=0.000),organizational learning (r=0.954 p=0.000), and finally vision (r=0.818 p=0.000). There was a positive correlation between total organizational cultures, internal and external focus dimensions and total autonomy. Recommendations : hospital administrators should: Build strategy makes staff nurses empowered and integrated which makes them involved in the work, develop system work to team up and collaborate to bring the group's basic ideals to life.