Managing nurse absence

Examines in detail the issue of absence among nurses in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. Three main objectives are to: investigate levels and reasons for absence among nurses; assess the abilities of NHS management to monitor and control nurse absence effectively; and examine the impact of nurse absence on organizational costs and care delivery. Draws on data generated from four linked studies: a survey of back-injured nurses, conducted in 1992; a survey of 4,000 qualified nurse members of the Royal College of Nursing, conducted in March/April 1993; a postal survey of 119 NHS employing units, conducted in May/June 1993; and detailed case studies, conducted with management in ten NHS hospital sites in May/June 1993.