What do nurse managers say about nurses' sickness absenteeism? A new perspective

Area of Science:

• Nursing Management
• Healthcare Workforce Studies
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Nurses' sickness absenteeism is a significant global challenge impacting healthcare quality and operational costs.
• Addressing nurse absenteeism is crucial for maintaining adequate skill mix and service delivery.
• The economic and clinical consequences of high nurse absenteeism rates necessitate further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the phenomenon of nurses' sickness absenteeism.
• To understand the contributing factors from the perspective of nurse managers.
• To identify antecedents of nurse absenteeism not widely reported in existing literature.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive research design.
• Data collected through in-depth, tape-recorded interviews with 20 nurse managers.
• Content analysis approach used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Three primary domains emerged from the analysis: work-related factors, individual factors, and organizational factors.
• Work-related factors included workload, staffing levels, and work environment.
• Individual factors encompassed personal health and well-being, while organizational factors related to management practices and support systems.

Conclusions:

• Nurses' sickness absenteeism is a complex issue influenced by a combination of work, individual, and organizational elements.
• The study provides a nuanced understanding of absenteeism from the nurse manager's viewpoint.
• Findings offer a basis for developing targeted interventions to mitigate nurse absenteeism and its adverse effects on healthcare quality and financial efficiency.