Organizational Culture and Climate for Promoting Innovativeness

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of nurse leaders and nurses in a hospital whose patient care mission was stated as innovation. BACKGROUND: Nurses are critically positioned to provide creative and innovative solutions that make a difference in the lives of patients, organizations, communities, and the profession. METHODS: This 2-phase qualitative study used a content analysis and thematic analysis approach to describe experiences and to generate a beginning conceptual framework of the experience. RESULTS: Results from phase 1 and phase 2 of this study demonstrate that innovativeness in nursing is a multifaceted phenomenon consisting of workplace antecedents followed by a social process. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing innovation requires organizational commitment to allow employees to inquire and question organizational practices and issues on behalf of the mission, patient care, and nursing practice.