Working conditions of nurses and absenteeism: is there a relationship? An empirical analysis using National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses.
OBJECTIVE
This paper investigates the relationship between the working conditions and illness- and injury-related absenteeism of full-time Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).


METHODS
We used 2005 National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses, which was designed to be representative of nurses employed in nursing in Canada in the fall of 2005. We estimated Negative Binomial regression models separately for RNs and LPNs with health related absenteeism as the dependent variable. The regressors include working conditions, work settings, and shift type/length along with socio-demographic variables.


RESULTS
Depression is a significant determinant of absenteeism for both RNs and LPNs. However, workload and lack of respect are significant determinant of absenteeism for LPNs but not for RNs. Both RNs and LPNs working in other setting (physician offices, private nursing educations, educational institutions, governments and associations) will have less absenteeism than those working in hospitals. For LPNs, those working in long-term facility will also have less absenteeism than those working in hospitals. The length and type of shift also has significant effect on absenteeism.


CONCLUSIONS
Improving working conditions with a resulting reduction in absenteeism might be an economic way to increase the labour supply of nurses without increasing new admissions or new recruits.
Rajbhandary
Sameer
S
Microsimulation Modelling and Data Analysis Division, Applied Research and Analysis Directorate, Health Canada, 1905C Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. kisalaya_basu@hc-sc.gc.ca
Basu
Kisalaya
K
D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D016010:Binomial Distribution; D002170:Canada; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D010559:Personnel Management; D012044:Regression Analysis; D016526:Workload; D017132:Workplace