title: Return-to-work coordinators' resourcefulness and the provision of suitable duties for nurses with injuries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is little health specific literature on returning nurses with injuries to work despite the high incidence of injuries and the workforce shortages of these professionals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify enabling factors and barriers to return-to-work for nurses with injuries from the perspective of return-to-work coordinators.
  
  
  METHODS
  Workplace return-to-workcoordinators employed in a health or disability facility who had worked on a rehabilitation case with a nurse with injuries in the past 12 months in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five focus groups were conducted with 25 return-to-work coordinators from 14 different organisations, representing different health sectors (aged, disability, public and private hospital and community health) in metropolitan and rural areas of NSW, Australia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study reports findings specifically relating to the provision of suitable duties for nurses with injuries. Four key themes were identified: suitable duties; supernumerary positions; nurse specialisation and tailoring of return-to-work plans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified that return-to-work coordinators were resourceful and innovative in their approach to the provision of suitable duties for nurses with injuries and highlighted the importance of including clinical duties in any return-to-work program and of tailoring the return-to-work to the nurses' work and personal circumstances.
authors: School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors: Carole
authors: C
authors: James
authors: School of Education, Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors: Erica
authors: E
authors: Southgate
authors: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors: Ashley
authors: A
authors: Kable
authors: School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors: Darren A
authors: DA
authors: Rivett
authors: School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors: Maya
authors: M
authors: Guest
authors: School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors: Joanna
authors: J
authors: Bohatko-Naismith
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D058016:Health Facility Administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D009740:Nursing Staff; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D062707:Return to Work; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration
keywords: Suitable duties; health sector; qualitative; workplace based return-to-work