Presenteeism levels among Italian nurses. A multicentric survey

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Occupational Health
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Presenteeism, defined as working while ill, negatively impacts work quality, productivity, and incurs costs.
• Nurses are identified as a profession with high rates of presenteeism, potentially compromising patient care quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of presenteeism among nurses in Italy.
• To identify factors associated with presenteeism in the Italian nursing workforce.

Main Methods:

• A multicentric, cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2015.
• 652 Italian nurses completed the Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS-6).

Main Results:

• Nurses reported high presenteeism levels, particularly in 'Avoiding distractions' and 'Completing work' domains.
• Male nurses and older nurses exhibited lower presenteeism scores.
• Self-reported health problems correlated with increased presenteeism scores.

Conclusions:

• Presenteeism is a prevalent issue among Italian nurses, mirroring international findings.
• Healthcare providers must recognize and address presenteeism.
• Findings provide a baseline for developing targeted public health policies to mitigate presenteeism's impact.