Nurses' characteristics and practice environments: Comparison between clusters with different attitude and utilisation profiles regarding nursing diagnosis.

Aim: To identify clusters of nurses in relation to the utilisation and attitude towards nursing diagnosis and to compare their profiles considering demographics, professional characteristics and nursing practice environments. Background: Nursing diagnosis has benefits for both patients and nurses, and the attitude of nurses towards nursing diagnosis has been proposed as a determinant of its use. Therefore, an adequate understanding of nurses' attitude and utilisation profiles regarding nursing diagnosis is essential for the nursing managers who want to adopt nursing diagnosis as a practice framework. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey design was used. A sample of 239 nurses working in the Catalan primary health care system were categorised into clusters with similar attitude and utilisation profiles, which were compared with each other a posteriori. Results: Nursing managers were grouped into more positive attitude clusters than clinical nurses. Nurses working in supportive nursing practice environments were classified into more positive attitude and higher utilisation clusters. Conclusion: The field of work and nursing practice environments were found as differential factors in profiles of nurses with different attitudes towards and/or utilisation of nursing diagnosis. Implications for Nursing Management: The promotion of supportive nursing practice environments could enhance the implementation and maintenance of nursing diagnosis as a practice framework in primary health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]