Aim: The aim of this work is to describe the organizational climate and interpersonal interactions experienced by registered nurses in a level III neonatal intensive care unit.
Background: Neonatal nurses have a demanding task in caring for a varied, highly vulnerable patient population and supporting patients' families. Nurses' psychosocial work environment affects quality of care as well as nurses' job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Method: Semistructured interviews with 13 nurses, covering numerous aspects of their psychosocial work environment, were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: High staff turnover and a preponderance of inexperienced nurses were described as stressful and detrimental to group cohesion. Work at the unit was considered overly demanding for newly qualified nurses, while senior nurses expressed frustration at the work of training new nurses who might not stay. While some were very satisfied with the group climate, others complained of a negative climate and incivilities from some experienced nurses toward new recruits.
Conclusions: High turnover and variable competence among staff present challenges for maintaining a positive organizational climate.
Implications for nursing management: Management should communicate a clear sense of the nature of neonatal intensive care when recruiting, foster group cohesion (e.g., by creating stable work teams) and reward commitment to working at the unit.
Keywords: group cohesion; hospital personnel management; industrial psychology; job satisfaction; qualitative research.
© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Nursing Management published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.