title: Predictive values and other quality criteria of the German version of the Nurse-Work Instability Scale (Nurse-WIS) - follow-up survey findings of a prospective study of a cohort of geriatric care workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Until now there has been a lack of effective screening instruments for health care workers at risk. To counteract the forecast shortage for health care workers, the offer of early interventions to maintain their work ability will become a central concern. The Nurse-Work Instability Scale (Nurse-WIS) seems to be suitable as a screening instrument and therefore a prospective study of a cohort of nursing staff from nursing homes was undertaken to validate the Nurse-Work Instability Scale (Nurse-WIS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The follow-up data was used to test the sensitivity, specificity and the predictive values of the Nurse-WIS. The participants answered a questionnaire in the baseline investigation (T1) and in a follow-up 12 month after baseline. The hypothesis was that geriatric care workers with an increased risk according to the Nurse-WIS in T1 would be more likely to have taken long-term sick leave or drawn a pension for reduced work capacity in T2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  396 persons took part in T1 (21.3% response), 225 in T2 (42.3% loss-to-follow-up). In T1, 28.4% indicated an increased risk according to the Nurse-WIS. In T2, 10.2% had taken long-term sick leave or had drawn a pension for reduced work capacity. The sensitivity is 73.9% (95%-CI 55.7%-92.3%), the specificity is 76.7% (95%-CI 71.2%-82.8%). The ROC AUC indicated a moderate precision for the scale, at 0.74 (95%-CI 0.64-0.84). The PPV of the Nurse-WIS is 26.6%, and the NPV is 96.3%. For those with an increased risk according to the Nurse-WIS, the probability in T2 of long-term sick leave or a pension for reduced work capacity is around eight times higher (OR 8.3, 95%-CI 2.90-23.07). Persons who had indicated a long-term sick leave or made an application for a pension for reduced work capacity in T1 had a 17 times higher risk (OR 17.4, 95%-CI 3.34-90.55).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The German version of the Nurse-WIS appears to be a valid instrument with satisfactory predictive capabilities for recording an impending long-term sick leave. Whether the Nurse-WIS can be used as a screening tool which helps to design risk adjusted prevention programs for the afflicted nurse should be studied.
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre for Epidemiology and Health Services Research in Nursing (CVcare), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, Building O17, Hamburg, 20246, Germany.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harling
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre for Epidemiology and Health Services Research in Nursing (CVcare), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, Building O17, Hamburg, 20246, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schablon
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre for Epidemiology and Health Services Research in Nursing (CVcare), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, Building O17, Hamburg, 20246, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre for Epidemiology and Health Services Research in Nursing (CVcare), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, Building O17, Hamburg, 20246, Germany ; Institution for Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in the Health and Welfare Services, Department of Occupational Health Research, Pappelallee 35/37, Hamburg, 22089, Germany.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nienhaus
keywords: Long-term sick leave; Musculoskeletal disorders; Nurse-work instability scale; Nurses