The Relationship Between Nursing Practice Environment and Innovative Behavior in the Al-Madinah Region, Saudi Arabia: A Descriptive Study.

Background and objective A positive and supportive practice environment is essential for inspiring innovation in nursing. Innovative behaviors (IBs) could motivate nurses to devise solutions in several domains, such as identifying and solving workplace problems, building new work methods, delivering their services efficiently and effectively, adopting new medical technology advancements, and leading the change process to face current challenges in healthcare. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the nursing practice environment (NPE) and IB in the Al-Madinah region of Saudi Arabia. Methods A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional correlational design was employed for the study. The convenience sample consisted of 330 bedside nurses working in five general hospitals in the Al-Madinah region who voluntarily completed a self-report questionnaire consisting of queries related to demographic and professional characteristics, the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI), and the Innovative Behavior Inventory (IBI). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation. Results Based on the study findings, the NPE was favorable. The overall PES-NWI mean score was 2.62 ± 0.50, and the mean scores of four of the five subscales were >2.50. The collegial nurse-physician relations subscale was perceived as the most favorable (2.87 ± 0.59), while staffing and resource adequacy was perceived as unfavorable (2.35 ± 0.65). The overall IBI mean score was 3.53 ± 0.56, indicating that nurses had a moderate level of agreement on IB. The highest mean score in IB was in the idea search domain (3.72 ± 0.77), while it was lowest in the implementation of starting activities domain (3.11 ± 0.86). Conclusions The correlation between the NPE and IB was positive and statistically significant. However, the correlation of the staffing and resources adequacy subscale in relation to subscales of idea search, overcoming obstacles, and innovation output did not reach statistical significance. Healthcare organizations should incorporate the principles of work innovation and healthy nursing work environments into their core values and enhance and nurture them through strategic management.