Organizational climate, communication, and role strain in clinical nursing faculty.

Abstract

This study examined factors contributing to role strain experienced by clinical nursing faculty while they oversaw the clinical experiences of nursing students. Specifically, the study focused on differences between clinical nursing faculty's perceptions of organizational climate and communication within affiliating agencies and perceptions of these factors held by their respective nursing unit managers in the affiliating agencies. Perceptions of organizational climate and communication were related to role strain reported by clinical nursing faculty, and predictors of role strain in clinical nursing faculty were identified. The instruments used for data collection were the Organizational Climate Questionnaire, Communication Within Organizations Questionnaire, and Role Strain Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using independent Student's t Tests, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Significant differences in perceptions of organizational climate were not found; however, clinical nursing faculty and nursing unit managers differed significantly in their perception of communication. There was a significant positive correlation between organizational climate, communication, and reported role strain in clinical nursing faculty, and a linear relationship was demonstrated between reported role strain in clinical nursing faculty, perceptions of communication, and length of time on the nursing unit in the affiliating agency.