Table 2.

Average percentages of the components and dimensions of professional nursing practice environments

Components / Dimensions	After the 1st critical period of COVID-19		After the 4th critical period of COVID-19
	Meana	Standard Deviation	Meana	Standard Deviation	p values**
STRUCTURE Component
Dim 1 - People management and service leadership	53.9	18.3	59.5	15.9	< 0.001
Dim 2 - Physical environment and conditions for appropriate service running	52.3	16.9	54.1	14.8	< 0.001
Dim 3 - Nurses’ participation and involvement in the institution’s policies, strategies and management	45.4	15.6	46.7	16.5	0.027
Dim 4 - Institutional policy for professional qualification	49.0	17.1	45.5	17.6	< 0.001
Dim 5 - Organization and guidance of nursing practice	54.8	17.5	57.0	16.2	0.081
Dim 6 - Quality and safety of nursing care	59.3	15.6	61.7	17.0	0.026
Structure subscale	51.9	13.6	54.4	12.7	< 0.001
PROCESS Component
Dim 1 - Collaboration and teamwork	65.9	12.4	61.3	12.0	0.019
Dim 2 - Strategies for ensuring quality in professional practice	55.0	15.2	58.1	14.7	< 0.001
Dim 3 - Autonomous practices in professional practice	67.1	13.1	70.4	12.4	< 0.001
Dim 4 - Care planning, evaluation and continuity	64.0	14.8	66.8	14.9	< 0.001
Dim 5 - Theoretical and legal support of professional practice	70.7	15.3	71.2	14.6	< 0.001
Dim 6 - Interdependent practices in professional practice	37.4	14.4	40.6	15.9	< 0.001
Process subscale	61.2	9.5	63.1	9.6	0.001
OUTCOME Component
Dim 1 - Systematic assessment of nursing care and indicators	49.0	16.4	53.1	15.9	< 0.001
Dim 2 - Systematic assessment of nurses’ performance and supervision	43.4	19.2	47.4	18.0	< 0.001
Outcome subscale	46.4	16.2	50.4	15.2	< 0.001

Source: Authors. Dim.: Dimension

^**Wilcoxon test

^aScore < 35% - component of the professional nursing practice environment slightly favourable to the quality of care; between 35 and 55% - component of the professional nursing practice environment moderately favourable to the quality of care; between 55 and 75% - component of the professional nursing practice environment favourable to the quality of care; and, finally, > 75% - component of the professional nursing practice environment very favourable to the quality of care