Workplace injury and nurses: Insights from focus groups with Australian return-to-work coordinators

Few studies have examined the return-to-work process for nurses who are injured at work. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that facilitate or impede the successful return to work of nurses who have sustained a workplace injury from the perspective of return-to-work coordinators. A qualitative, descriptive study was conducted and 25 return-to-work coordinators from 14 different organizations participated in focus group discussions. The participants were recruited from healthcare settings in metropolitan and rural areas of New South Wales, Australia. These included aged-care, residential, and community disability support services, public and private hospitals, and the community health sector. Workforce shortages, individual life circumstances and nurses' work, and nurses' qualifications, specialization, experience, and job tenure were identified as the factors that influence the timely, safe, and sustainable return to work of injured nurses. This study provides insight into how workforce shortages have driven innovative practice in accommodating a nurse's life circumstances when developing the return-to-work plan. Barriers to nurses' return to work included a lack of qualifications, specialization, and the casualization of the workforce.