Christine T Kovner

Abstract

This review offers an analysis of practice overlap between physicians and registered nurses (RNs) who are not advanced practice nurses. Additionally, it spotlights opportunities for expanding traditional professional boundaries to establish novel care delivery models. The examples of RN role expansion offer a beginning for discussion regarding how the health professionals' knowledge and skills can be best used in designing an effective and efficient health care system. Although limited data exist on cost effectiveness and workload implications of the novel care delivery models, policy makers can use the findings of this review to begin to inform U.S. health care reform.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The impact of personal, organizational, and economic factors on nurses' job satisfaction have been studied extensively, but few studies exist in which the effects of physical work environment-including perceptions of architectural, interior design, and ambient features on job satisfaction-are examined. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of perceived physical work environment on job satisfaction, adjusting for multiple personal, organizational, and economic determinants of job satisfaction. METHODS: A cross-sectional, predictive design and a Web-based survey instrument were used to collect data from staff registered nurses in a large metropolitan hospital. The survey included 34 questions about multiple job satisfaction determinants, including 18 Likert-type measures with established good validity (comparative fit index = .97, Tucker-Lewis index = .98, root mean square error of approximation = .06) and reliability (r ≥ .70). RESULTS: A response rate of 48.5% resulted in a sample of 362, with 80% power to detect a medium effect of perceived physical environment on job satisfaction. On average, nurses had negative perceptions of physical work environment (M = 2.9, SD = 2.2). Although physical environment was related positively to job satisfaction (r =.256, p = .01) in bivariate analysis, in ordered probit regression, no effect of physical work environment on job satisfaction was found. DISCUSSION: In future studies, this relationship should be examined in larger and more representative samples of nurses. Qualitative methods should be used to explore how negatively perceived physical work environment impacts nurses. Rebuilding of U.S. hospitals, with a planned investment of $200 billion without considering how physical environment contributes to nurse work outcomes, threatens to exacerbate organizational nurse turnover.

Abstract

Purpose of the Study: To examine the effects of the present on admission (POA) indicator on the prevalence of and factors associated with postsurgical adverse events in older patients. Design and Methods: This is a secondary data analysis of 82,898 surgical patients aged 65 years or older in 252 acute care hospitals in California in 2004. Four adverse events were counted using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Patient Safety Indicator (PSI) definitions with and without using the POA indicator. We also examined the effects of the POA indicator on the relationships between patient- and hospital-level factors and adverse events, using generalized linear mixed models. Results: The use of the POA indicator resulted in a marked reduction in the estimated rates of all 4 adverse event rates. Adjustment for POA conditions also influenced factors associated with adverse events. Compared with those with newly occurring adverse events only, admissions with only POA conditions were more likely to be admitted through the emergency department, be unplanned, and belong to patients with one or more preceding admissions or those with multiple admissions within the same year. Implications: Adverse event rates estimated from discharge abstracts using PSI methodology could be overstated when the POA indicator was not used. The POA indicator could influence predictors of adverse events. Studies on geriatric safety and outcomes using large administrative data sets should consider using the POA indicator. Further studies are needed on how to determine POA conditions.

Abstract

The Sustainability Budgeting Model (SBM) is presented in the context of a department of nursing of a major hospital. If successfully incorporated in the department of nursing, the SBM can easily be moved into the larger hospital context. The SBM was designed recognizing the three necessary components underlying all budgeting models. The SBM incorporates the inherent variability of the resource inflows and outflows and in that sense is robust; it is recommended these resource flows be calibrated for the various time horizons using the standard Present Value model so as to provide comparability across projects. Most importantly, the SBM focuses on financial sustainability considering all the relevant costs - variable and fixed - and so speaks to longterm coordinated planning and continuation of desired patient services.

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the differences between traditional-baccalaureate graduates (TBGs) who had a baccalaureate degree in nursing and no other academic degree or diploma and second-degree baccalaureate graduates (SDGs) who had both a baccalaureate degree in nursing and a baccalaureate or higher degree in a field other than nursing. Using a sample of 953 newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs), we compared SDGs and TBGs on demographic and work characteristics, including attitudes toward work, intent to stay in their current job, and whether they are searching for a job. TBGs worked slightly more hours per week and were more likely to provide direct care. SDGs were more likely to plan to stay indefinitely in their first job and were less uncertain of plans to stay. SDGs experienced higher family-work conflict and lower workgroup cohesion. Full-time SDGs earn over $2,700 more income per year. Potential explanations for the salary difference are the greater human capital that SDGs bring to the job and their older age. Understanding the workforce productivity of these two groups is important for both organizational planning and policy for recruitment and retention.

Abstract

The purpose of this analysis is to describe the attrition process from application to associate and baccalaureate basic RN programs through the first 2 years of work using estimates from best available nationally representative data. Results of the analysis show that although about 41,000 qualified applicants are not admitted to basic RN programs, most students (76.2%) who enroll in basic RN programs graduate, and most RN graduates who pass the National Council Licensure Examination stay in their first nursing job (73.8%) and nursing (97.9%) for at least 2 years. The results suggest that room for improvement exists for retention across educational and work settings, but the system appears to be most leaky at the point of admitting qualified applicants. Precise data about attrition from educational and employment settings are essential for resolving educational capacity and workforce retention issues, but precise data are difficult to obtain. A solution may be to assign each applicant a unique identifier.

Abstract

Objective To examine the relationships between nursing staffing levels and nursing home deficiencies.MethodsThis panel data analysis employed random-effect models that adjusted for unobserved, nursing home-specific heterogeneity over time. Data were obtained from California's long-term care annual cost report data and the Automated Certification and Licensing Administrative Information and Management Systems data from 1999 to 2003, linked with other secondary data sources.ResultsBoth total nursing staffing and registered nurse (RN) staffing levels were negatively related to total deficiencies, quality of care deficiencies, and serious deficiencies that may cause harm or jeopardy to nursing home residents. Nursing homes that met the state staffing standard received fewer total deficiencies and quality of care deficiencies than nursing homes that failed to meet the standard. Meeting the state staffing standard was not related to receiving serious deficiencies.ConclusionsTotal nursing staffing and RN staffing levels were predictors of nursing home quality. Further research is needed on the effectiveness of state minimum staffing standards.

Abstract

Background: Many studies have examined predictors of nurses' intention to work in their job, including desire to quit. Intent has been a good predictor of actual turnover. Few longitudinal studies exist that consider regional variables. Objectives: To extend the conceptual framework of turnover research to the whole nursing workforce and determine: (1) how do demographics, region (metropolitan statistical area: MSA), movement opportunities, and work setting variables affect registered nurses' (RNs) intent to work and desire to quit; and (2) how do demographics, MSA variables, movement opportunities, and work setting variables affect RNs' work behavior at time 2? Design: Panel study using Dillman's design method. Settings and participants: Randomly selected national cluster sample from 40 urban geographic regions (MSAs) in 29 states of the United States. Methods: Four thousand surveys were sent. There were 1907 female RNs under 65 (48% response rate) from year 1 of which 1348 responded at year 2 (70% response rate). Results: The first analyses used desire to quit (explained 65% of the variance) and intent to work from year 1 as dependent variables. Satisfaction and organizational commitment were significant negative predictors of desire to quit. In the logistic regression on intent to work, the work motivation and work-family conflict were positive and significant as well as wages (negative) and three benefit variables. In year 2, the dependent variable was working or not and if working, full-time or not. For this bivariate probit regression no attitudes influenced the work/not work decision, but MSA level variables, wages (positive) and benefits (positive) did. Organizational commitment and higher workload increased the probability of working FT. Conclusions: Regional differences across markets need to be controlled and their influence investigated. In addition, attitudes as well as wages and benefits were important in certain decisions: these factors are clearly under the influence of employers.

Abstract

▶ Nursing turnover is costly for health care organizations. ▶ Newly licensed registered nurses work behavior is a complex process, influenced by their attitudes toward their work, personal characteristics, job opportunities, and workplace attributes. ▶ Several characteristics are significant in predicting satisfaction (ethnicity, gender) and organizational commitment (patient load, mandatory overtime, shift, and unit type) and intent to stay (income, age) over and above work attitudes. ▶ Among the most important implications are how the findings can inform management and policy. ▶ Findings from this study provide information that may be useful for those organizations that want to decrease their turnover rates.