Making a measurable difference: evaluating quality of work life interventions

Across the country, nurses and other front-line health system workers are taking actions to improve the quality of their work environment. A high quality work environment is being accepted, albeit slowly, as a prerequisite for building the human resource capacity needed to sustain the health system. As more time and money are invested in trying to improve the quality of work life for Canada's health-care workers, it is crucial to know whether progress is being made. The key question that must be answered is, "Are we making a measurable difference for individual employees, patients, and the organization?"