Evaluating Individual, Professional, and Work Environment Characteristics That Impact Intensive Care Nurses' Attitudes Toward Wasteful Behaviors

Abstract

This study aims to examine the relationships between intensive care nurses’ individual, professional, and work environment characteristics and their attitudes toward wasteful behaviors. The cross-sectional study was carried out with 346 intensive care nurses in a multicenter setting between August and October 2025 in two provincial centers. While attitudes toward wastefulness correlated positively with age, working hours, years of working in the institution and profession, status of loving the profession, and satisfaction with the unit, they correlated negatively with the number of patients cared for daily. The scores for staffing and resource adequacy and nursing foundations for quality of care positively affected the perception of wastefulness, individual attitude, use of resources, and organizational culture of wastefulness scores. On the other hand, the scores for collegial nurse–physician relations and nurse participation in hospital affairs negatively affected the perception of wastefulness, individual attitude, use of resources, and organizational culture of wastefulness scores. Furthermore, the scores for collegial nurse–physician relations negatively impacted the score for non-value adding processes. In conclusion, addressing all dimensions of wastefulness, improving the work environment, organizing continuous training and awareness programs, and motivating intensive care nurses are essential for developing positive attitudes toward wastefulness. It is crucial to adopt an organizational culture and provide training and motivation for intensive care nurses, who are at the center of care, in order to improve their attitudes toward wastefulness as a part of nursing services management. This study adheres to the STROBE guideline of reporting.