Additional HWE Resources

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated staffing challenges in intensive care units, with increased burnout and moral distress cited as major problems. This article describes how tele–critical care nurses were affected by the pandemic and how healthy work environment strategies promoted successful nurse and patient outcomes.

Journal Article

In this video presentation discover the benefits of the new Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool (HWEAT 2.0), learn how to become your department's point of contact, create an assessment for your team, and interpret your results using our new scoring system.

Video

Learning about improving the health of your workplace with AACN’s Standards for a Healthy Work Environment (HWE). The tips and tricks in this blog include introducing the standards to your team, gaining support and creating a proposal.

Blog

This blog discusses the importance of HWEs and their effects on nurse well-being and improved patient outcomes. It includes resources to help improve your work environment and makes a case for bold action at your facility

Blog

Are you looking for a way to gain support to begin working toward a healthier work environment? Use this PowerPoint to generate excitement about the six healthy work environment standards and the impact a healthy work environment has on nurses, patients and the hospital organization. This resource is intended to be modified to fit the needs of your institution.

HWE

This article describes how one group completed a Canadian French translation and cross-cultural adaptation of AACN’s Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool (HWEAT). This work expands global dialogue about healthy work environments and introduces methodology that could be used in the future.

Journal Article

Through this discussion with Dr. Linda Cassidy, learn more about the results from the 2021 National Nurse Work Environment survey, understand the positive impact AACN’s Healthy Work Environment Standards have on the nurse work environment and discover tips for building and sustaining a healthy work environment.

Podcast

This column highlights several studies published in 2021 that examine the impact of healthy work environments on nurse retention and points to the direct association between implementing healthy work environment standards and improving the work environment.

Journal Article

Results from the latest Critical Care Nurse Work Environment Survey show that nurse well-being, job satisfaction with intent to leave, appropriate staffing and perceptions in quality patient care have all suffered. Without immediate improvement, study results indicate that nurses will continue to leave the workforce in search of more meaningful, rewarding and sustainable work.

Journal Article

Nurse leaders play a vital role in creating an environment for nurses to pursue excellence and innovation. Join Kishun Moolsanker, a nurse manager at North Shore University Hospital, as he discusses how he increased staff satisfaction and improved patient outcomes by encouraging nurse-driven initiatives and the Healthy Work Environment standards.

Podcast

Nurses have faced extreme challenges of the past two years, and the effects of Covid-19 and chronic staffing shortages have taken a toll on the nursing workforce. While nurses can practice self-care strategies, nurse well-being cannot be the sole responsibility of the nurse. Learn how organizations can utilize the Healthy Work Environment standards to engage in systemic support for nurse resilience.

Journal Article

In this article, learn why patients in hospitals with better nurse work environments are not only less likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit but are also less like to die following surgery.

Journal Article

Implementing the Healthy Work Environment standards can be overwhelming and tedious. Review this article for a step-by-step approach for changing the culture of your work environment.

Journal Article

Work environment health, like personal health, requires ongoing consideration and attention. In this blog, nurse leader Dennis Doherty describes how the work environment is like a living being and emphasizes the importance of vigilance in addressing the work environment during this challenging time. Specific suggestions for individuals and organizations are also offered.

Blog

To address turnover and nurse satisfaction, one unit applied interventions addressing all six of AACN's Standards. A survey conducted after the two year project showed significant improvement compared to a survey done before the project began. Review their project and consider how this might apply in your unit.

Journal Article

This webinar describes the symptoms, causes, and constraints of moral distress and strategies for mitigating it. The link between the work environment and moral distress is also described and the webinar provides time-neutral strategies that individual nurses can employ to implement the AACN's Healthy Work Environment Standards.

Webinar

Looking for resources to help you implement AACN’s Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments? This evidence-based toolkit based on work done by Alissa Samoya, DNP, RN, CPN includes links to a wide variety of tools. Used in conjunction with the critical elements of the Healthy Work Environment Standards, organizational procedures and leaders’ knowledge of current practice, these resources can help you improve the work environment.

HWE

In this study, researchers found a significant relationship between nurse wellbeing and scores for three of the Healthy Work Environment Standards: meaningful recognition, appropriate staffing, and effective decision making. The results suggest that focusing on these areas can help mitigate burnout and promote compassion satisfaction.

Journal Article

In this webinar, nurse leader and AACN past president Vicki Good explains the relationship between work environment and nurse well-being, specifically in the context of a crisis. You will learn about the six Healthy Work Environment Standards and strategies for implementing them even during challenging times.

Webinar

Leaders of a Beacon Award winning supplemental staffing unit talk about their journey during the COVID 19 pandemic and their foundational efforts to address the work environment.

Nurse Story

Nurse leaders have a profound impact on the work environment and the affect it has on nursing staff. That role is especially crucial when we face crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In this webinar, nurse leader and coaching expert Rose Sherman presents strategies nurse leaders can use to guide nurses in responding to stress and developing resilience.

Webinar

AACN Past President highlights nursing innovations during the COVID 19 pandemic and encourages creative thinking to address system issues and improve the work environment

Blog

This blog provides tips for building personal resilience among unit staff so that they can contribute to a healthy work environment.

Blog

Nurses face complex ethical decision on a daily basis, making them more susceptible to moral distress. In this podcast, nurse ethics leader Cynda Rushton talks about why we experience moral distress, how it affects us and how we can help alleviate distress and build moral resilience.

Podcast

Workplace violence is both a symptom and a result of unhealthy work environments. What can we, as nurses, do to mitigate violence and increase personal safety? Join webinar presenter Karin Reuter-Rice as she describes communication and organizational strategies that can help prevent violence.

Webinar

This article describes the results of a national survey in which nurses rated the health of the work environment and provided data on related phenomena such as incidents of workplace violence, moral distress, staffing and intent to leave their position. This report includes comparison to previous surveys, demonstrating changes in the work environment and key areas for improvement. The relationship between implementation of the six Healthy Work Environment Standards and specific outcomes is clearly described.

Journal Article

In this nurse story, learn how one hospital’s unit utilized the Healthy Work Environment standards to support nurse retention and satisfaction.

Nurse Story

Beacon

AJCC

AJCC

CCN

CCN

This poster, designed by John F. Dixon, MSN, RN, NE-BC, director of The Center for Nursing Education and Research at Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas, Texas), is being generously shared by this facility. We encourage you to print and post it in your unit.

HWE

CCN

CCN

CCN

HWE

nursingworld.org