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The COVID-19 pandemic initially compelled population reductions at local county jails. This study uses daily population counts at 970 jail facilities in 43 different U.S. states to; assess changes in jail population levels during 2020; relate those changes to the demographic, economic, and political characteristics of the counties where they took place; and examine the relationships between jail population levels and COVID-19 cases and deaths. Jail population data was gathered by the Jail Data Initiative at New York University and linked to other publicly accessible data collections. Through descriptive analyses and latent growth curve modeling, our findings indicate that while jail population levels generally fell in the early stages of the pandemic, they remained higher in areas with larger proportions of minoritized populations, and returned more rapidly to pre-pandemic levels in areas with larger proportions of Black and Republican-leaning residents. Larger pre-pandemic jail population rates were associated with elevated COVID-19 case and death rates during 2020, and changes in local jail population rates predicted case and death rates over a following three-month period. Specifically, each percentage increase in jail populations was associated with between 80.4 and 101.9 additional cases and 1.2 to 1.4 additional deaths per 10 K county residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to propose and assess dual affective mechanisms linking perceived overqualification (POQ) to discretionary negative employee behaviours. Specifically, drawing upon person-job fit theory, we investigated anger and boredom as high-intensity and low-intensity affective mechanisms between POQ and two distinct forms of counterproductive work behaviour (CWB): interpersonal abuse and cyberloafing, respectively. Further, given its potential to reduce the discrepancy between employee abilities and job demands, we examined if task crafting reduces both negative emotions in response to POQ. Employing a sample of administrative university employees, we conducted a time-lagged study to test our hypothesized model. Results supported the notion that abuse and cyberloafing are distinct, distal behavioural outcomes of POQ driven through anger and boredom, respectively. Furthermore, we found that task crafting buffers the passive low-intensity path via boredom, but not the active high-intensity path via anger. Overall, our results demonstrate that the effects of POQ on negative employee behaviours are complex and multifaceted, and that it is valuable to consider these dual affective pathways when refining theory and predicting its various outcomes. Results also suggest that task crafting may serve as a promising workplace intervention that can help combat some of the consequences of POQ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the processes through which personnel understaffing and expertise understaffing jointly shape near misses among nurses during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background: Inadequate staffing is a chronic issue within the nursing profession, with the safety consequences of understaffing likely being exacerbated by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Design: This study used a three‐wave, time‐separated survey design and collected data from 120 nurses in the United States working on the frontline of the pandemic in hospital settings. Methods: Participants were recruited through convenience sampling in early April 2020. Eligible nurses completed three surveys across a 6‐week period during the COVID‐19 pandemic from mid‐April to the end of May 2020. Study hypotheses were tested with path analyses. Results/Findings: Results reveal that personnel understaffing and expertise understaffing jointly shape near misses, which are known to precede and contribute to accidents and injuries, through different mechanisms. Specifically, personnel understaffing led to greater use of safety workarounds, which only induced near misses when cognitive failures were high. Further, higher levels of cognitive failures appeared to be the result of greater expertise understaffing. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of addressing issues of understaffing, especially during times of crisis, to better promote nurse and patient safety. Impact: This study was the first to examine the distinct mechanisms by which two forms of understaffing impact safety outcomes in the form of near misses. Understanding these mechanisms can help leaders and policymakers make informed staffing decisions by considering the safety implications of understaffing issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2009, over 176 million patients in the United States have been adversely impacted by data breaches affecting Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act–covered institutions. While the popular press often attributes data breaches to external hackers, most breaches are the result of employee carelessness and/or failure to comply with information security policies and procedures. To change employee behavior, we borrow from the organizational climate literature and introduce the Information Security Climate Index, developed and validated using two pilot samples. In this study, four categories of healthcare professionals (certified nursing assistants, dentists, pharmacists, and physician assistants) were surveyed. Likert-type items were used to assess the Information Security Climate Index, information security motivation, and information security behaviors. Study results indicated that the Information Security Climate Index was related to better employee information security motivation and information security behaviors. In addition, there were observed differences between occupational groups with pharmacists reporting a more favorable climate and behaviors than physician assistants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research has traditionally examined stressors as predictors and strains as outcomes. However, some recent research has found evidence of reverse causality between various stressors and strains, demonstrating that the relationship between these types of variables may extend beyond the traditional stressor-strain framework. The current study builds upon this past research by examining the temporal direction of the relationship between verbal aggression exposure and job satisfaction. Specifically, through the lens of emotional contagion theory, we suggest that low levels of job satisfaction in employees are detectable by others, which in turn leads them to engage in verbal aggression directed toward those employees. To test this postulation, 309 emergency medical professionals completed surveys that assessed verbal aggression exposure and job satisfaction across three time points. Results of cross-lagged structural equation model tests showed a significant job satisfaction to verbal aggression path over time, but a nonsignificant verbal aggression to job satisfaction path over time. Additionally, results support the postulation that job satisfaction leads to physical strain outcomes through verbal aggression exposure. Overall, results suggest that job satisfaction may serve as a predictor of verbal aggression exposure rather than a result within high stakes environments such as the emergency medical services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]