Sense of community among nurses: results of a study of New Zealand nurses

Abstract

Sense of community is a term often used in relation to a geographic location, such as a neighbourhood, town or region, but this concept encompasses much more than location and is frequently extended to include the work environment and relationships people build with co-workers. However, scant attention has been paid to developing and testing the construct among nursing communities.

The purpose of this research is to explore how a theoretical conceptualisation of sense of community applies to nurse, describe the development of the Nurse Sense of Community Index (NSCI) and report the results of a survey (N = 672) of New Zealand nurses.

Key findings relate to high membership and low influence subscale scores, low levels of sense of community among the youngest nurses, and high levels among those working in speciality areas (i.e., small, close-knit workplaces). The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for nurse educators and the nursing profession.