Making the hidden obvious. Management education through survey feedback.

Staff nurse perceptions of the work setting are powerful indicators of job satisfaction and often guide intent to remain or leave the job. In this study, staff nurse perceptions of the unit work environment were disclosed to nurse managers in an innovative management education strategy. Equipped with unit-specific information from their staff members, nurse managers found that they were better able to address the factors identified as most important. Use of survey-based information promoted better management decisions and a higher level of confidence.