Nurse managers' perceptions about supportive work environment in public hospitals in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Background An optimal work environment is essential for the effective performance of healthcare workers, particularly nurse managers, in order to achieve high-quality services. The current study aims to assess and compare nurse managers' perceptions of the adequacy of support within their work environment and availability of resources in four main hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Subjects and methods Through a cross-sectional study design, 260 nurse managers from four main general hospitals in Jeddah and Riyadh were selected using convenience sampling and invited to participate in the study. Their perception of the work environment was assessed using the Quality Work Environment Study (QWEST) questionnaire, which has been proven valid and reliable. Data were stored and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, Version 26) software. In addition to descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests and ANOVA were used to test the significance of the differences between subgroups. Statistical significance was set at a P value of < 0.05. Results The perception of nurse managers toward items reflecting work environment ranged from moderate (mean = 3.72, SD = 0.678) regarding support from supervisors regarding acting on values, even if it was at personal cost, to too high to support teamwork to achieve goals and outcomes (mean = 4.13, SD = 0.621). There was no statistically significant difference in the perceived work environment in the studied hospitals. Non-Saudis had a higher positive perception of the work environment (mean = 4.0, SD = 0.52) than Saudis (mean = 3.8, SD = 0.50), P = 0.006. They also showed moderate perceptions of the availability of resources and logistics, with no statistically significant differences between hospitals except for the availability of clerical support staff. Conclusion Nurse managers generally perceive a moderate-to-high level of empowerment and support, indicating a positive environment across general hospitals. Non-Saudi nurse managers viewed their work environments more positively than Saudi nurse managers did. Although all hospitals had uniform resources, there was variance in clerical support between them. Hospitals should empower clerical staffing levels and adjust them to reduce administrative burdens to enable nurse managers to focus more on clinical leadership and patient care.