Health Effects of a Natural Experiment Introducing Nature Window Views Among Healthcare Workers

Introduction: Healthcare workers experience high rates of job-related stress and burnout, contributing to a substantial burden of mental and emotional health conditions. Exposure to natural environments is associated with improved mental health outcomes. However, for healthcare workers, the effects of nature in the workplace have been underexplored. This analysis reports the health effects of gaining a window view of nature among a sample of healthcare workers.Methods: In November 2023, a rehabilitation hospital moved its primary location from a midsize [redacted for anonymous review] city to a nearby area surrounded by woodlands. Employees completed surveys on work environment, job satisfaction and burnout, and health-related outcomes prior to the move, four weeks after the move, and one year after the move.Results: In difference-in-differences models controlling for gender, age, and change in job category, participants who gained a window view of a natural environment had greater odds of experiencing improvements in their reported satisfaction of their window view (OR=8.05, p=0.02). However, no statistically-significant improvements were reported for outcomes relating to job satisfaction, stress, burnout, or mental health associated with the change in window view. Conclusions: Although participants gaining window views of nature reported increases in window view satisfaction, we found no changes to job-related or health-related outcomes either at the first followup or one year after the move associated with gaining a window view of nature. Greater doses of nature in workplace environments, or different kinds of strategies, may be necessary to promote mental health among healthcare workers.