{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T09:00:08Z","timestamp":1776157208455,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,13]],"date-time":"2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1739404800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Healthcare"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: The prison environment is a unique context of professional practice, characterized by specific challenges requiring conditions that ensure both the delivery of tailored care to inmates and the well-being of healthcare professionals. This study analyzes the characteristics of nursing practice environments in Portuguese prisons. Methods: A descriptive, exploratory, mixed-methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches was conducted in 30 Portuguese prisons. A non-probabilistic convenience sampling method was used to select participants. Data were collected between June and July 2022 using an online self-administered questionnaire. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 28.0, was used to analyze the quantitative data, while Bardin\u2019s Thematic Analysis was used to examine the qualitative data. The Ethics Committee granted ethical approval for the study, and the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services provided authorization. Results: A total of 77 nurses participated in the study, representing 39.4% of the target population. The dimensions with the lowest mean scores included \u201cNurses\u2019 participation and involvement in institutional policies, strategies, and management\u201d, \u201cInstitutional policy for professional qualification\u201d, \u201cInterdependent practices in professional activities\u201d, and \u201cSystematic assessment of nurses\u2019 performance and supervision\u201d. Participants highlighted the need for improved strategies targeting structural, procedural, and outcome-oriented components. Conclusions: Finding fields of weakness can greatly enhance the setting for nursing practices. Priority interventions in Portuguese prisons include the following: enhancing human resources; providing adequate infrastructure and equipment; implementing policies to involve, qualify, and assess nurses\u2019 performance; and defining indicators centered on the safety and quality of care as well as the welfare of professionals.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare13040403","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,13]],"date-time":"2025-02-13T05:10:22Z","timestamp":1739423422000},"page":"403","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["An Evaluation of the Nursing Practice Environments in Portuguese Prisons"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"V\u00edtor da Silva","family":"Valente","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services, 1150-122 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"T\u00e2nia Maria Silva","family":"Azevedo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services, 1150-122 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3041-7731","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marlene Patr\u00edcia","family":"Ribeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"RISE-Health, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"T\u00e2mega and Sousa Local Health Unit, 4560-136 Penafiel, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8011-378X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Soraia Cristina de Abreu","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"RISE-Health, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Portuguese Red Cross Northern School of Health, 3720-126 Oliveira de Azem\u00e9is, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9870-2128","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sandra Rita Pereira","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RISE-Health, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Nursing School of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7072-0359","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ant\u00f3nio Carlos Lopes","family":"Vilela","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RISE-Health, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Nursing School of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Let\u00edcia de Lima","family":"Trindade","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nursing Department, Santa Catarina State University, Chapec\u00f3 88035-901, SC, Brazil"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9982-9537","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Olga Maria Pimenta Lopes","family":"Ribeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RISE-Health, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Nursing School of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e34815","DOI":"10.18471\/rbe.v34.34815","article-title":"Viv\u00eancias da Equipe de Enfermagem no Cotidiano do Sistema Penal","volume":"34","author":"Soares","year":"2020","journal-title":"Rev. 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