Needs assessment of head nurses on the feedback environment of nursing quality supervision: A cross-sectional survey

Purpose To investigate the needs of head nurses in secondary and above medical institutions across the province regarding the feedback environment of nursing quality supervision and analyze the influencing factors. Methods A survey was conducted among head nurses from secondary and higher-level medical institutions across 11 prefecture-level cities in Shanxi Province, China.The questionnaire includes four dimensions: feedback source, feedback information, feedback method and feedback seeking, and each dimension covers the corresponding content and requirements, with a total of 18 items. Results The study surveyed a total of 1,571 head nurses. Their demand levels for feedback sources, feedback information, feedback methods, and feedback-seeking content and requirements ranged from 87.2–95.9%. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that educational background, hospital grade, professional title, years of nursing management experience, and frequency of receiving supervision feedback were the influencing factors of head nurse's demand for feedback environment (P < 0.05). Conclusion Head nurses demonstrated high demand across all four dimensions of the feedback environment: feedback sources, feedback information, feedback methods, and feedback seeking. Therefore, to establish a supportive nursing quality supervision feedback environment and enhance feedback effectiveness, the following strategies should be implemented: strengthening the professional competencies of supervisors and feedback providers to ensure the reliability and professionalism of feedback sources; integrating, filtering, refining, and categorizing feedback information while presenting results through structured and multimodal approaches to optimize feedback content; developing humanized and dynamically adjustable feedback methods to enhance feedback delivery; establishing anonymous feedback channels and knowledge management platforms to smooth feedback seeking channels; Finally, taking full account of the differences in head nurses' needs regarding the feedback environment and implementing stratified and targeted training strategies. These measures collectively build a supportive nursing quality supervision feedback ecosystem that enhances feedback efficiency.