A national view of workplace injuries in nursing homes.
OBJECTIVE
Data from a large sample of nursing homes were used to examine the cross-sectional association between workplace injuries and organizational factors, caregiver staffing levels, and quality.


METHODS
Three sources of data were used, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration data initiative for 2004, the Online Survey Certification and Recording system representing 2004, and the 2004 Area Resource File.


RESULTS
For the organizational characteristics of interest, the results show that for-profit facilities were less likely to report high injury rates and that facilities with a higher average occupancy and belonging to a chain were more likely to report high injury rates. For the staffing characteristics of interest, facilities with high staffing levels of registered nurses were more likely to report high injury rates, whereas those with high staffing levels of nurse aides were less likely to report high injury rates. For the quality characteristic of interest, facilities of low quality (as measured by quality-of-care deficiency citations) were more likely to report high injury rates.


CONCLUSIONS
Workplace injuries are associated with organizational, caregiver, and quality characteristics of nursing homes. This may present an opportunity to reduce high injury rates.
Castle
Nicholas G
NG
Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. CASTLEN@Pitt.edu
Engberg
John
J
Mendeloff
John
J
Burns
Rachel
R
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001509:Bed Occupancy; D002568:Certification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006269:Health Facilities, Proprietary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009096:Multi-Institutional Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000145:classification / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010067:Ownership; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014489:United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*