Related Experiment Videos
Trends in nurse overtime, 1995-2002.
Barbara Berney1, Jack Needleman
1School of Health Sciences, Hunter College, New York, USA.
Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice
|January 31, 2006
Summary
Hospital nurse overtime significantly increased by 51% from 1995 to 2002, with most growth after 1997. This trend suggests considerable management influence on staffing decisions and overtime utilization.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Nursing Workforce Studies
- Hospital Operations
Background:
- Growing concerns exist regarding increased nurse overtime in hospitals.
- Systematic data on nursing overtime trends have been limited.
- Understanding overtime patterns is crucial for workforce management and patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in the amount of overtime worked by nurses in New York hospitals.
- To identify factors associated with changes in nursing overtime.
- To provide empirical data on nursing workforce dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from New York hospitals spanning 1995 to 2002.
- Calculated the percentage of total nursing hours worked as overtime.
- Compared overtime rates across different hospital types (e.g., unionized, non-teaching).
Main Results:
- Overall nursing overtime increased by 51% between 1995 and 2002 (3.9% to 5.9% of total hours).
- The majority of this increase occurred post-1997, with stabilization from 2001-2002.
- Overtime rose more in non-government unionized and non-teaching hospitals.
Conclusions:
- Significant increases in nursing overtime were observed, highlighting potential workforce pressures.
- Variations in overtime trends suggest management discretion in staffing and census management.
- Further research is needed to explore the implications of overtime on nurse well-being and patient outcomes.