Table 2.
Comparison of the nurse work environment in rural and urban hospital units (n = 194)
| Staffing Adequacy | Rural (n = 44) | Urban (n = 150) | Range | Test | Alpha | r wg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion of RNs (%) | |||||||
| 99–199 | 51 (16.5) | 56.4 (11.3) | 23.3–75.2 | ns | t-test | ||
| 200–299 | 50.6 (15.6) | 61.1 (12.8) | 25.5–87.7 | P <0.01 | t-test | ||
| 300–450 | 48.9 (6.7) | 59.4 (14.2) | 27.9–100 | P < 0.000 | t-test | ||
| Total | 50.1 (13.1) | 59.6 (13.5) | 23.3–100 | P < 0.000 | t-test | ||
| Vacancy rate (%) | |||||||
| 99–199 | 10.5 (8.1) | 11.4 (6.0) | 0.6–24 | ns | MW | ||
| 200–299 | 6.3 (6.1) | 14.8 (10.1) | 0–45.1 | P < 0.002 | MW | ||
| 300–450 | 8.7 (10.3) | 11.7 (10.5) | 0–51.2 | ns | MW | ||
| Total | 8.5 (8.5) | 12.7 (10.1) | 0–51.4 | P < 0.004 | MW | ||
| Experience (years as RN) | 11.1 (4) | 11.8 (4) | 3.6–26.9 | ns | MW | ||
| Education (% of RNs with a BS or higher degree) | |||||||
| 99–199 | 18.3 (12.6) | 30.5 (20.9) | 0–63.6 | ns | MW | ||
| 200–299 | 24.4 (15.6) | 35.1 (16.7) | 0–70 | P < 0.04 | MW | ||
| 300–450 | 37.5 (26.6) | 36.3 (18.6) | 0–100 | ns | MW | ||
| Total | 27.2 (20.1) | 35.3 (18.3) | 0–100 | P < 0.006 | MW | ||
| Expertise | 41.8 (2.6) | 42.5 (2.1) | 34.8–46.9 | ns | MW | 0.92 | 0.89 |
| Commitment to care | 36 (2.3) | 36.6 (1.9) | 29.2–40.9 | ns | MW | 0.81 | 0.84 |
| Professional practice | |||||||
| Decentralization | 15.1 (2.1) | 15.5 (2.0) | 9.4–21.2 | ns | t-test | 0.77 | 0.84 |
| Autonomy | 88.4 (6.4) | 89.5 (5.8) | 68.5–103.5 | ns | t-test | 0.92 | 0.88 |
| Relational coordination | 225.5 (11.3) | 227.1 (11.7) | 196–262.8 | ns | MW | 0.96 | 0.86 |
MW, Mann–Whitney non-parametric test; bold indicates statistically significant results.
Results according to number of beds not shown if not at least one category was statistically significant.
Alpha and rwg is reported for the whole sample (n = 194).