The Relationship Between Staff Members' Working Conditions and Patients' Perceptions of the Treatment Environment

BACKGROUND: The psychosocial climate of inpatient units has proved to be related to both patient satisfaction and outcome. AIMS: The aims of the study were twofold: to study the relationship between patient and staff satisfaction, and to study the relationship between the patients' perception of the treatment environment and the perceived working conditions of the staff. METHOD: A total of 129 different patients completed the Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS) and a General Satisfaction Index (GSI) at 11 time points between 1981 and 2000. Staff members completed the Working Environment Scale-10 (WES-10) and the GSI. Z-scores were calculated to describe the fluctuations in the WAS, WES-10 and the GSI subscale scores. RESULTS: The study revealed a strong correlation between patient satisfaction and staff satisfaction. Staff satisfaction correlated significantly with the WAS subscales of Practical orientation and Staff control. Furthermore, the study revealed a significant correlation between patient satisfaction and staff members' perception on the WES-10 subscale of Self-realization. CONCLUSION: This exploratory study revealed that the working conditions of staff are related to both patient satisfaction and the patients' perceptions of the treatment environment. A satisfactory working environment for psychiatric staff members seems important for the quality of care perceived by patients.