Type of Document	Thesis
Author	Cooper, Adam Saul
URN	etd-11122008-151840
Title	Travel Nurses' Experience Of Organizational Change: An Exploratory Study
Degree	Master of Science
Department	Nursing, School of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title James Whyte IV Committee Chair Sally Karioth Committee Member Laurie Grubbs Outside Committee Member
Keywords	Travel Nursing Change Change Agents
Date of Defense	2008-11-05
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract The evolution of the nursing profession is a process that requires nurses to evaluate the nature of change in various professional settings. Due to varied practices throughout the country, some hospitals may not be utilizing the most effective methods for nursing practice. Travel nurses are one group of nursing professionals who occasionally have challenges to overcome when attempting to create change in the context of the workplaces where they are assigned. The purpose of this study was to provide an exploratory examination of travel nurses’ experience of their role in participating in or facilitating change on individual nursing units. Three instruments were used to explore this issue: The Trust and Closure Audit Questionnaire, Nursing Work Index-Revised (NWI-R), and qualitative questions developed by the investigator. The results illustrated reasons for the successes and failures of travel nurses to create change. Additionally, the results suggest a profile of the ideal travel nurse in the context of integration into an organization and the changes accompanied by the very integration of travel nurses into a nursing staff. While the sample size and scope of the study were limited, these results are significant. The nursing profession will continue to strive to provide high quality patient care and maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients and staff. During this progress, the need to change and improve nursing practice is vital. There are many methods in which change can occur and the utilization of travel nurses is one of them. This study offers suggestions for utilizing travel nurses to improve patient care and safety.
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