Sestrinski glasnik, Vol. 31 No. 1, 2026.
Professional paper
https://doi.org/10.11608/sgnj.31.1.7
Organizational justice in nursing as a foundation for safer and more humane healthcare
Valentina Ješić
orcid.org/0000-0001-7947-5233
; Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, Vinogradska cesta 29, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
*
Sabina Babić
; Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, Vinogradska cesta 29, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Nikolina Vratan
; Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, Vinogradska cesta 29, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Organizational justice refers to employees’ perceptions of fairness in decision making, organizational procedures, and interpersonal relationships within the work environment. In nursing practice, this concept is particularly important due to the complexity and emotional demands of nursing work, as well as its direct association with patient outcomes. This paper examines the theoretical framework of organizational justice and its core dimensions, distributive, procedural, and interpersonal justice, within the context of nursing practice. Special emphasis is placed on the impact of perceived justice on job satisfaction, work motivation, burnout, staff retention, and patient safety. Key strategies for promoting organizational justice in nursing are also discussed, including transparent communication, employee involvement in decision making, fair performance evaluation and reward systems, the development of empathetic and transformational leadership, and the establishment of a just organizational culture in healthcare institutions. Based on the reviewed literature, organizational justice is identified as a crucial prerequisite for creating a stable, safe, and humane work environment that strengthens nurses’ professional well-being, motivation, and resilience, which in turn is reflected in patient care outcomes.
Keywords
organizational justice; nursing; job satisfaction; burnout; transformational leadership
Hrčak ID:
346143
URI
Publication date:
13.4.2026.
Visits: 255 *