AACN Nurse Work Environment Survey 2021

Welcome to the AACN 2021 Registered Nurse Work Environment Survey. [link]

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is conducting the fifth wave of this survey to better understand the environments in which nurses work and what influences their decisions to stay in a particular position or move on. The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on nurses and their work environment. This makes it even more important to understand the current status of nurse work environments as a foundation for moving forward into the future.

AACN’s Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments are the basis for much of this survey. The standards are based on six essential factors that represent evidence-based and relationship-centered principles of professional performance: Skilled Communication, True Collaboration, Effective Decision Making, Appropriate Staffing, Meaningful Recognition, and Authentic Leadership.

There are a few things to keep in mind as you complete the survey. Some questions will ask you to rate both “your organization” and "your work unit.” When responding to questions about “your organization,” think of your organization as a whole (i.e., the entire hospital). When answering about “your work unit,” think of your specific work unit and/or department (for example, Surgical ICU East or Emergency Department). If you work at more than one job, please answer the survey questions thinking of your primary employer.

Please complete the survey by October 17, 2021. Your responses are critical, and the survey should only take 10-15 minutes to complete. Also, please share the survey link  with your colleagues and encourage them to participate in the study.