Please continue to check back with our website in 2006.   The names of
publications which carry our results will be posted here in the coming months.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q. I already returned my completed survey and now I have a new copy, did you receive the my survey?
A. In order to determine if we have received your completed survey you will need to contact us with the following information; your name and ID # (found in the pink box on the back of your survey) and a way to contact you (i.e., phone number or email address). Please see the bottom of this web page for our contact information.

Q. I did not return the first survey that was mailed, when will I be getting a new copy of the survey?
A. We mailed the first survey in late October, a second mailing went out in the first week of January 2006.  Our third and final mailing will be going out in March of 2006. 

Q.  I have not seen your survey at all but have gotten reminder cards, when will I get the survey?
A. If you have not received the survey, but have gotten a postcard, please contact us so that we can track any problems with the mailing.  If you have access to the internet, you can complete the survey online.  You can find our contact information at the bottom of this web page.

Q. How do I find my login ID for the website version of the survey?
A. If you have the survey itself, you can find it in a pink box on the back page of the booklet below the barcode.  If you only have the reminder postcard, then you can find your login ID above your name and mailing address.  It is a 7 digit number followed by a letter.

Q. I cannot complete your survey for various reasons, how can I get taken off the mailing list?
A. Please complete section F of the survey which is your general demographic information, that way we can confirm that you received our survey but do not wish to answer questions related to your work environment.  If we don't receive this, we will assume that you never got our survey and will continue to send you materials.

Q. Is this survey legitimate?
A.  Absolutely.  The Multi-State Nursing Care & Patient Safety Study is funded by the National Institutes of Health under the direction of Dr. Linda Aiken, RN at the University of Pennsylvania.  Dr. Aiken has an excellent track record using research to influence health care practice and policy and you can find a summary of the research accomplishments of her team elsewhere on this web site.  Over 200,000 nurses will be participating in this study, which will provide critical information for improving practice conditions for nurses and outcomes for patients.  This is a legitimate research survey and we encourage your participation.  The New Jersey survey is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the NJ State Board of Nursing.

Q. What if I don't fill out the survey?
A. Completing the survey is entirely voluntary.  However, every nurse's response is very important to our study and we strongly encourage you to participate.  We have every expectation that this study will help bring about positive change for both nurses and patients.  If you do not wish to participate, please take the time to answer a few demographic questions and mail the survey back to us because it is important for us to know that you received it.

Q. What's the difference between the paper survey and the web survey?
A. The questions on the paper version and the web version are identical.  You can fill out the survey either way (please don't do both) depending on your preference.

Q. How can I get help if I decide to use the web option and have a problem completing the survey online?
A. Temple University's Institute for Survey Research has a toll free help line that can be accessed by calling 1-800-966-0651 from 9am-5pm EST.

Q. I don't see my employer listed in the code book or web list.  Can I still participate?
A. Yes.  If you are unable to find your employer on the list, just leave the code spaces blank on the booklet and write in the name and location of your employer or select the write in option on the web.

Q. How can I find out the results of the study?
A.  You can check our website:  www.nursing.upenn.edu/chopr for updates, results, and publications related to this study.

Q. Are my responses confidential?
A. Yes.  We have extensive methods for protecting the confidentiality of your responses.  If you are concerned about having your name on the survey, please tear off your name only from the back of the survey before you return it.

Q. Why do you want the name of my employer?
A. The purpose of the study is to gain a better understanding about how different features in the places where nurses work (such as nurses' workloads, the quality of their relationships with physicians, and the support they receive from managers) affect nurse retention and the outcomes for patients in their organizations.  Patients outcomes are already collected by state and federal authorities for each hospital, nursing home, and home care organization.  In order to understand how nursing care affects patient outcomes, we need to know the name of your employer to link your survey results with patient outcomes in your practice setting.  We do not report findings by employer name - all our findings are reported in the aggregate (i.e. as averages and summaries for all organizations).  Should you not share the name of your employer with us, we will not be able to use your responses to help us answer the central questions in our study.

Q. Will my employer be singled out because of my answers?
A. No. We have never reported, nor will we ever report, survey findings or outcomes for particular organizations.  Our results are publicly released in aggregate form only (see previous question).

Q. Can you give me an example of how my answers will be used?
A. Sure.  We ask each nurse how satisfied they are with their job and ask for the name of their employer.  We add up all the answers from nurses at each employing organization to determine average levels of nurse job satisfaction for each organization.  We obtain patient outcomes for each organization from government sources.  We can then determine if organizations that have higher levels of nurse job satisfaction also have better patient outcomes.  Similarly, we can examine the aspects of nurse workplaces that are associated with both higher nurse satisfaction and better outcomes.  We may find that organizations in which nurses are more involved in the development of policies have higher job satisfaction and better patient outcomes.  Such a finding across hundreds of organizations would provide a very strong incentive for health care leaders to increase nurses' participation in clinical and organizational decision-making.

Q. I'm retired, should I fill out the survey?
A. Yes, please do.  If you are retired you will be directed to skip certain sections that pertain to current work experiences.  However, there are important questions that pertain to every registered nurse holding a license to practice.  Your participation is very important.

Q. I don't use my RN license in my job.  Should I still fill out the survey?
A.  Yes, please do.  If you are not currently working in nursing, or are working in nursing but not a clinical role, you will be directed to skip certain sections of the survey.  However we are interested in your current role, your satisfaction with nursing as a career, and your plans in the future.  Your participation is important.

Q. I work more than one job, which one should I answer the questions about?
A. Focus on the job where you spend the most time.  If your time is split equally between a hospital job and another job, focus on the hospital job.  If your time is split equally between two jobs in similar settings, just pick either job.

Q. If this survey is being done by the University of Pennsylvania, why is Temple University's name on the letter and website? 
A. The University of Pennsylvania is directing the study and is responsible for all aspects of the research.  Temple University has an Institute for Survey Research that specializes in administering large mail and web-based surveys designed by researchers at other universities.  While the Temple University Institute for Survey Research is managing the mailing of the surveys and the web-based survey, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania will analyze and report the findings.

Q. I didn't receive a survey.  Can I be included?
A. Nurses receiving the surveys are part of a computer generated random sample drawn from all registered nurses residing in Pennsylvania, California and New Jersey.  In order to maintain the integrity of the study, unfortunately we cannot mail out surveys to nurses who are not on this list.

If you have any other questions that are not addressed on this page, please feel free to contact us.

How to contact us:   email:  chopr@nursing.upenn.edu  phone: 215-898-5673  fax: 215-573-2062