Search

Background: There is a paucity of information regarding the mental health of midwives working in Ontario, Canada. Many studies have investigated midwives' mental health around the world, but little is known about how the model of midwifery care in Ontario contributes to or negatively impacts midwives' mental health. The aim of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of factors that contribute to and negatively impact Ontario midwives' mental health. Methods: We employed a mixed-methods, sequential, exploratory design, which utilized focus groups and individual interviews, followed by an online survey. All midwives in Ontario who had actively practiced within the previous 15 months were eligible to participate. Findings: We conducted 6 focus groups and 3 individual interviews, with 24 midwives, and 275 midwives subsequently completed the online survey. We identified four broad factors that impacted midwives' mental health: (1) the nature of midwifery work, (2) the remuneration model, (3) the culture of the profession, and (4) external factors. Discussion: Based on our findings and the existing literature, we have five broad recommendations for improving Ontario midwives' mental health: (1) provide a variety of work options for midwives; (2) address the impacts of trauma on midwives; (3) make mental health services tailored for midwives accessible; (4) support healthy midwife-to-midwife relationships; and (5) support improved respect and understanding of midwifery. Conclusion: As one of the first comprehensive investigations into midwives' mental health in Ontario, this study highlights factors that contribute negatively to midwives' mental health and offers recommendations for how midwives' mental health can be improved systemically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nurses play a most pivotal role in hospitals. Job satisfaction among any profession or job helps the employees to work in more improved way. In nursing profession, job satisfaction has prime importance, as they will do better which finally affect the condition of patients. The recovery of patients mainly depends upon the quality of care they receive. The study aims to examine the level of influence of organizational factors on the occupational satisfaction among nurses working in private hospitals. A sample of 120 nurses was selected from 10 private hospitals in Kochi having bed size more than 150. The study was conducted to find out the factors that influence job satisfaction of nurses. A set of organizational factors chosen for the study and their impact on the satisfaction level of nurses were studied. The study reveals that factors like promotional opportunities, hospital policies and salary highly influence the satisfaction of nurses. The job satisfaction of nurses can be improved through assurance and encouragement from the part of management by reducing stress and giving reasonable salary. It will have a positive impact on patients' health as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using BLS data on 300 hospitals in 1985, the authors examine pay in four occupations, with a particular focus on the effect of supervision on the pay of nonsupervisory employees. There was a strong hospital- specific effect on wages that cut across occupations; thus, if a hospital paid relatively high wages to one occupation, it was likely to pay high wages to workers in other occupations as well. The inter-occupational pattern of the ratio of supervisors to staff, on the other hand, was much less uniform among hospitals. The wages of staff nurses tended to fall with the extent of supervision, suggesting that workers do not receive a compensating wage premium in return for closer supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the association of working experience and salary with occupational stress among nurses at tertiary care public sector hospitals in Karachi. Methods: This analytical cross sectional study was carried out at Civil Hospital and Dow University Hospital, Karachi from January 2015 to November 2015. Study participants were 265 registered nurses. Convenience sampling method was used to access the subjects for data collection. Data were gathered through pretested and semi structured occupational stress questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to determine the association of salary and working experience with occupational stress. Results: Nearly half participants with 6-10 years of experience had severe stress. Working experience (p value < 0.001) and salary (p value 0.011) has significant association with occupational stress. Furthermore, 47.5% nurses with income 25,000-34,000 PKR had severe stress. Conclusion: The study concluded that salary and working experience has impact with occupational stress among nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to understand the service conditions of nurses because these influence nurses' motivations and ability to provide care. Although nurses are estimated to constitute 30% of India's health workforce, limited empirical information is available about them. This paper attempts to address this gap in research. A cross-sectional survey of 266 nurses in the state of Gujarat was conducted to understand the demographic characteristics, qualifications and employment features of nurses working in India's private and public health sectors. Descriptive and univariate analyses were performed using the collected information. A multivariate regression model was also estimated with monthly earnings as the dependent variable, and workplace, type of employment contract, caste background and years in the nursing workforce as independent variables. The three main findings presented in this article highlight considerable heterogeneity in the background and employment of nurses in India. First, 49% of nurses working in private hospitals and as temporary employees in public facilities belonged to historically disadvantaged social groups (deemed Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) and were estimated to earn 9% less than similarly qualified and practiced nurses from general caste categories (P = 0.02). Second, 18% of nurses working in private hospitals did not have formal nursing qualifications. Third, nurses working in private hospitals and as temporary employees in public facilities earned less than the minimum wage stipulated by the Government of India. Permanent public sector nurses were estimated to earn 105% more than private sector nurses with the same qualifications, years of work and caste background (P <  0.001). This study finds that the disproportionate presence of women and socially discriminated caste groups in the nursing workforce, coupled with the failure of governmental agencies to regulate the health sector, might help explain the low wages and lack of job security that most nurses in India contend with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 2000s, over a dozen U.S. states passed laws that prohibit healthcare employers from mandating overtime for nurses. Using a nationwide panel data set from 2004 to 2012, we find that these mandatory overtime laws reduced the service quality of nursing homes, as measured by an increase in deficiency citations. This outcome can be explained by two undesirable changes in the staffing hours of registered nurses: decreased hours of permanent nurses and increased hours of contract nurses per resident day. We observe that the increase in deficiency citations concentrates in the domains of administration and quality of care rather than quality of life, and the severity levels of the increased citations tend to be minor rather than major. We also find that the laws' negative effect on quality is more severe in nursing homes with higher percentages of Medicare-covered residents. These observations are consistent with the predictions of a stochastic staffing model that incorporates demand uncertainty and operational flexibility. Furthermore, we rule out an alternative hypothesis that the quality decline is induced by an increase in nurse wages. This paper was accepted by Gad Allon, operations management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dynamis is the property of Dynamis - Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Granada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article looks at trends in labor market outcomes for registered nurses in the U.S. from 2002 to 2015. Data from the Occupational Employment Statistics survey revealed increases in nursing employment and wages during the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009. Also discussed are employment opportunities for registered nurses in general medical and surgical hospitals and in offices of physicians.

Background: The proportion of registered nurses (RNs) with employment in health-related positions before their initial RN education has increased in the past two decades. Previous research found that prior health-related employment is positively associated with RN workforce supply, potentially due to the wage differences based on different career paths. This study's objective is to test the hypotheses that prior health-related employment is associated with differences in starting wages and with different rates of wage growth for experience as an RN.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) linked with county-level variables from the Area Health Resource File. We estimated a Heckman model where the second-stage equation's outcome variable was the logarithm of the RN hourly wage, accounting for the self-selection of working or not working as an RN (i.e., the first-stage equation's outcome variable). Key covariates included interaction terms between years of experience, experience squared, and six categories of prior health-related employment (manager, LPN/LVN, allied health, nursing aide, clerk, and all other healthcare positions). Additional covariates included demographics, weekly working hours, marital status, highest nursing degree, and county-level variables (e.g., unemployment rate). We estimated the marginal effect of experience on wage for each type of prior health-related employment, conducting separate analyses for RNs whose initial education was a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) (unweighted N = 10,345/weighted N = 945,429), RNs whose initial education was an Associate degree (unweighted N = 13,791/weighted N = 1,296,809), and total population combining the former groups (unweighted N = 24,136/weighted N = 2,242,238).Results: Prior health-related employment was associated with higher wages, with the strongest wage differences among BSN-educated RNs. Among BSN-educated RNs, previous employment as a health care manager, LPN/LVN, or nursing aide produced statistically higher starting wages ($1.72-$3.86 per hour; $3400-$7700 per year; p = 0.006-0.08). However, experience-based wage growth was lower for BSN-educated RNs previously employed as allied health workers, LPN/LVNs, or nursing aides. Among Associate degree-educated RNs, wage difference was not observed except for higher initial wage for RNs with previous employment as LPN/LVNs.Conclusions: Prior employment in health-related positions was associated with both starting salary and experience-based wage growth among BSN-educated RNs. The higher wage return for those with a BSN may motivate non-RN healthcare workers to seek a BSN in their transition to RN jobs, which could help advancement toward the 80 % BSN workforce recommended by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the employment status of nurses and future scope in Nepal. Topics discussed include charts depicting health system workforces of Nepal including medical doctor and nursing staffs, charts depicting basic salary and allowances of new staff nurses at different hospitals of Kathmandu, Nepal, and information on the Advance Practice Nursing (APN) course.

Empirically rigorous studies of nursing labor supply have to date relied on extant secondary data and focused almost exclusively on the role of pay. Yet the conditions under which nurses work and the timing and convenience of the hours they work are also important determinants of labor supply. Where there are national pay structures and pay structures are relatively inflexible, as in nursing in European countries, these factors become more important. One of the principal ways in which employers can improve the relative attractiveness of nursing jobs is by changing these other conditions of employment. This study uses new primary data to estimate an extended model of nursing labor supply. It is the first to explore whether and how measures of non-pecuniary workplace characteristics and observed individual (worker) heterogeneity over non-pecuniary job aspects impact estimates of the elasticity of hours with respect to wages. Our results have implications for the future sustainability of an adequately sized nurse workforce and patient care especially at a time when European healthcare systems are confronted with severe financial pressures that have resulted in squeezes in levels of healthcare funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To detect the presence of racial and ethnic pay disparities between minority and white hospital RNs using a national sample.Data Sources/study Setting: The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, 2008, which is representative at both the state and national level.Study Design: Cross-sectional data were analyzed using multivariate regression and regression decomposition. Differences between groups were decomposed into differences in the possession of characteristics and differences in the value of the same characteristic between different groups, the latter being a commonly used measure of wage discrimination.Data Collection/extraction Methods: As the majority of minority hospital RNs are employed within the most densely populated (central) counties of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), only hospital RNs employed in the central counties of MSAs were selected.Principal Findings: Regression decomposition found that black and Hispanic RNs earned less than whites and Asians, while Asian RNs earned more than white RNs. The majority of pay variation between white RNs, versus Asian, black, or Hispanic RNs was due to unexplained differences in the value of the same characteristic between groups.Conclusions: Differences in earnings between underrepresented and overrepresented hospital RNs is suggestive of discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the profession, diversity, and wage gaps and differences of registered nurses (RNs) in the U.S. Topics discussed include the studies on gender gaps in nursing wages and bilingualism, the study of J. Moore and colleagues on the heterogeneity, wage gaps and nonwage attributes of urban nurses, and policies related to human capital. Also mentioned is the workplace discrimination faced by African Americans and Hispanics RNs.

The current development of health services is characterized by multiple changes as a healthcare reimbursement, shortened length of stay and limited hospital resources, introduction of prospective payment system and increased expectations of quality health care. Case management can be also defined as a method which aims for the continuum of services and quality clinical results among specific clients in a context of efficient and effective resource management. Case management nurses provide care in hospitals. Case managers work with patients, families and other professionals. Case management nurses are registered nurses who coordinate all aspects of care for specified patients through the entire episode of illness. They facilitate admission and discharge processes. Case managers are responsible for the ongoing coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of the patient's progress along the clinical pathway or throughout the episode of illness. The essential skill for the case manager is a strong clinical background to understand the severity of clinical condition. The case management care plans are developed for select cases, diagnosis by multidisciplinary team. Through the use of clinical pathways, hospitals have consistently shown a reduced length of stay for the pathway specific case types or DRG without a detrimental effect on clinical outcomes. Clinical pathway describes care specific group of patients with diagnosis or DRGs. Clinical pathway help ensure high quality and costeffective care. Nursing case management offers benefits to the patient and the institution. Nursing care manager must have a strong clinical expertise and critical thinking, strong interpersonal communication skills, collaborative relationship with physicians and colleagues. Case management is among the changes which enhance the role of the nurse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time in its history, the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses in 2008 includes a question involving union status. This study utilizes data from this sample to estimate the union/non-union wage premium for registered nurses and among some of the occupational-, workplace-, and individual-specific characteristics. The study finds that standard union wage premium estimates for registered nurses are larger than what were revealed in other relatively recent studies. Upon inspection of various characteristics of registered nurses, the study finds a positive wage gap for union nurses as experience increases. With respect to characteristics of the workplace, there is statistical evidence in the sample that suggests a wage gap for registered nurses in the private- and public- sector, although more distinct in the private-sector. Finally, a positive wage gap is found for union nurses working in hospitals. The lattermost finding is particularly interesting given a specific change in labor law that occurred in the early 1990s that may have resulted in temporal differences in union wage effects within health care. The possibilities that unions 'spillover' their bargaining power to help increase the wages of nonunion workers, or that perhaps employers are paying efficiency wages to remain 'union-free' are also explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial wage theory suggests that employers in different regions may offer different pay rates to reflect local amenities and cost of living. Higher wages may be required to compensate for a less pleasant environment or a higher cost of living. If wages in a competing sector within an area are less flexible and therefore less competitive this may lead to an inability to employ staff. This paper considers the market for nursing staff in France where there is general regulation of wages and public hospitals compete for staff with the private hospital and non-hospital sectors. We consider two types of nursing staff, registered and assistant nurses and first establish the degree of spatial variation in the competitiveness of pay of nurses in public hospitals. We then consider whether these spatial variations are associated with variation in the employment of nursing staff. We find that despite regulation of pay in the public and private sector, there are substantial local variations in the competitiveness of nurses' pay. We find evidence that the spatial variations in the competitiveness of pay are associated with relative numbers of assistant nurses but not registered nurses. While we find the influence of the competitiveness of pay is small, it suggests that nonpay conditions may be an important factor in adjusting the labour market as might be expected in such a regulated market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the influence of socio-economic and demographic variables on the migration intentions of nursing students. It was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Data was obtained through the administration of structured questionnaire to students in three nursing schools. The study was conducted within the context of the neoclassical economic and network theories of migration. Using logistic regression analysis, the findings of the study indicate that salary differentials remain important determinants of nurse migration. Established networks in destination countries also facilitate nurse migration, even though nurses would still take the risk of migrating in the absence of networks abroad. Career progression for nurses and securing better education for children are also prominent determinants of nurse migration. It was also found that being posted to work in a rural area may even serve as a catalyst to migrate abroad, as this was the strongest predictor of intention to migrate. The findings of this study have important implication for human resource development among nurses in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, the role of occupational heterogeneity in the standard overeducation–required–undereducation (ORU) earnings function introduced by Duncan and Hoffman [1981. The incidence and wage effects of overeducation. Economics of Education Review 1, no. 1: 75–86] is examined. The occupational category of nursing is subdivided into numerous (as many as 267) minor occupational categories in estimating the level of required education. If occupation heterogeneity impacts the ORU earnings function, the effects are likely small as estimates of the ORU earnings functions of nurses are similar to estimates found in other standard multi-occupation studies. Subdividing nursing into minor occupational categories has a tremendous impact on the measured incidences of overeducation, particularly as the number of occupational categories increases from 17 to 39. The results are analogous to findings in the literature which show that varying the measurement of required education has a sizeable impact on incidence levels and little impact on the ORU earnings functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to analyze the Brazilian scientific publications related to Quality of Life (QOL) and QOL at Work (QWL) of nursing professionals. Method: integrative review of the literature, from the analysis of 18 scientific articles published in national journals, from January 2002 to December 2011 was performed. Results: there is lack of brazilian publications about QOL/QWL of nursing professionals; in a quantitative studies, the QOL/QWL, presented average greater than 50 points (scale of 0 to 100 points); in qualitative research, in general, the QOL/QWL has appeared as unsatisfactory; the work overload and the low wages have influenced negatively in the satisfaction and in the QOL/QWL of nursing professionals who work at any environment/ service. Conclusion: it is necessary to improve the QOL/QWL in nursing through the mobilization of administrative agencies, of class councils and of area's professionals, in order to develop strategies for greater recognition and valorization of the brazilian nursing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caring is the essence of nursing. Since care is influenced by cultural, economic, and social factors, various diverse barriers exist in the realization of care. The aim of the study was to clarify barriers to caring in emergency patients based on experiences of nurses and patients and their relatives. Materials and Methods: A qualitative design of content analysis was used to identify the barriers to caring in emergency patients. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 Iranian nurses working in a university hospital emergency ward and with seven patients. Participants were selected purposefully. Data were analyzed according to qualitative content analysis. Results: After the classification analyses and integration of codes, seven categories were acquired. Finally, following three themes were extracted: Identified barriers to nursing care in emergency wards - the nature of critical ward, performance weakness of nurses, and deficiency in clinical management. Conclusions: According to the results of this study fundamental and management education for nurses, empowerment of nurses, principle and scientific triage, effective supervision, nurses' support, wage increase, and motivation in nurses are important to achieve the research purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Job satisfaction among nurses has consequences on the quality of nursing care and accompanying organizational commitments. Nursing procedure measurement (NPM) is one of the essential parts of the performance-oriented system. This research was performed in order to determining the job satisfaction rate in selected wards of Baqiyatallah (a. s.) Hospital prior and following the NPM. Materials and Methods: An interventional research technique designed with an evaluation study approach in which job satisfaction was measured before and after NPM within 2 months in selected wards with census sampling procedure. The questionnaire contained two major parts; demographic data and questions regarding job satisfaction, salary, and fringe benefits. Data analyzed with SPSS version 13. Results: Statistical evaluation did not reveal significant difference between demographic data and satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction of nurses (before and after nursing procedures measurement). Following NPM, the rate of salary and benefits dissatisfaction decreased up to 5% and the rate of satisfaction increased about 1.5%, however the statistical tests did not reveal a significant difference. Subsequent to NPM, the rate of job value increased (P = 0.019), whereas the rate of job comfort decreased (P = 0.033) significantly. Conclusions: Measuring procedures do not affect the job satisfaction of ward staff or their salary and benefits. Therefore, it is suggested that the satisfaction measurement compute following nurses' salary and therefore benefits adjusted based on NPM. This is our suggested approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes whether a black-white racial wage differential exists in the nursing labor market in the US. Despite claims of a nursing shortage, little examination of whether racial inequalities in the labor market might contribute to this purported shortage has occurred. Possible explanations for black-white differences in RN compensation include racial differences in: occupation; returns to skills; metropolitan residency; union membership. Regression analysis on wages for registered nurses (RNs) was conducted. Findings suggest a wage penalty for non-union black nurses compared to non-union white nurses as well as the absence of a racial wage differential for union nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sozialer Fortschritt is the property of Duncker & Humblot GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Sozialer Fortschritt is the property of Duncker & Humblot GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Acknowledging the professionalism, dedication and loyalty of psychiatric mental health nurses can reduce manpower loss from this sector and may provide an indicator of the professional commitment of nurses to their jobs. Purpose: This research explored the professional commitment of psychiatric nurses and related factors of influence in a public psychiatric teaching hospital, Methods: Researchers used a cross-sectioral, correlational design and developed a professional commitment scale, which was administered to 190 nurses working at a regional public psychiatric teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. A total of 181 completed questionnaires were returned. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. Results: (1) Background variables including age, marital status, education level, number of children, family support for working as a psychiatric nurse, seniority as a clinical nurse, seniority in current position, current professional ladder level. current position and monthly salary were all identified as significantly influencing participants' professional commitment; (2) Seven background variables showed significant predictive value in terms of professional commitment. These included age, family support for working as a psychiatric nurse, seniority as a clinical nurse, seniority in current position, current professional ladder level, monthly salary and current position. These 7 items explained 42% of total variance for professional commitment. Conclusions / Implications for practice: study results suggested the following: (1) promoting the ladder system is important to advancing psychiatric health professional abilities; (2) significant attention should be focused on training, guiding and managing new nurses and contract nurses; (3) administrators should promote positive peer relationships and extend professional commitment support networks; (4) psychiatric professional proficiency training should be intensified for psychiatric nurses and their accomplishments should be promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Öffentliche und Gemeinwirtschaftliche Unternehmen (ZÖgU) / Journal for Public & Nonprofit Services is the property of Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a nursing shortage throughout the world. Part of this shortage appears to be due to nurses’ low job satisfaction, low retention and high turnover. Within Western countries, a nurse’s salary has been recognized as the most important job satisfaction attribute. However, nurses, throughout Asia, resign their jobs despite receiving an increase in salary. In addition, the concept of job satisfaction has not been examined extensively among nurses in Asian countries. Therefore, the aim of this concept analysis was to examine, using Walker and Avant’s approach to analysis, the concept, job satisfaction within the context of Asian cultures. A literature search of articles, published between 2000 and 2010, was performed using CINAHL, Ebosohost, Sciencedirect, Medline, PsyINFO, Pubmed and Cocrane Library. The key words used, in the search, were job satisfaction, nurse retention and psychometric assessment. Seven defining attributes for job satisfaction, within the context of Asian cultures, were revealed, including: social support/relationships, workload, incentives, professional status, work environment, administration, and autonomy. Social support/relationships, workload, and incentives were found to be the most influential attributes of job satisfaction within the context of Asian cultures, followed by professional status, work environment, administration, and autonomy. Antecedents of the concept were found to include being: a professional nurse; gainfully employed; and, employed within a health care setting in an Asian culture. Consequences of the concept were identified as: likelihood of increased work productivity; decreased levels of workplace stress; increased nurse retention within the workplace; increased quality of patient care; decreased organizational expenditures on nurse recruitment and retention efforts; increased quality of national health care; and, increased co-worker/employer satisfaction. Cases (model, borderline and contrary) are presented for the purpose of demonstrating the presence and/or absence of the concept’s defining attributes. Finally, empirical referents for assessing the presence of the concept are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effects of immigration on a specific occupation, registered nurses (RNs). To learn whether immigrant nurses reduced the earnings of RNs, we applied techniques developed by Goldin (1994) and Borjas, Freeman, and Katz (1996), but found the effect of immigrant penetration either positive or insignificant. We also found that the supply of immigrant RNs was far more elastic than the supply coming from natives. It is often argued that it will be hard to detect negative effects on wages and employment of natives in local markets, because natives will avoid a market which many immigrants have entered. This study finds no support for this hypothesis in this market, based on data that measures the rate of entry of RNs exactly. We find no adverse effect of immigration on native workers in this occupation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many sectors, pay is regulated to be equal across heterogeneous geographical labor markets. When the competitive outside wage is higher than the regulated wage, there are likely to be falls in quality. We exploit panel data from the population of English hospitals in which regulated pay for nurses is essentially flat across the country. Higher outside wages significantly worsen hospital quality as measured by hospital deaths for emergency heart attacks. A 10 percent increase in the outside wage is associated with a 7 percent increase in death rates. Furthermore, the regulation increases aggregate death rates in the public health care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a research on the professional and demographic characteristics of nurse leaders in various countries which are essential in the development and implementation of new system for care delivery. A survey of 1,523 healthcare leaders was conducted, which were classified into different categories including nurse managers, directors and vice presidents. It notes that 91.5% of nurse leaders is consist of females while only 8.5% is composed of males, showing that men earn higher salaries than women in spite of the slight difference in the percentage of males who achieve higher level of education and hold executive positions in their organizations. It also states that older nurse leaders are receiving higher salary than their younger counterparts.

Practice nurses are defined as those nurses who work in general practices and are employed by GPs. This includes nurses who have gained further qualifications and are working as nurse practitioners and minor illness specialist nurses. Despite the success of nurseled services in primary care, the move into extended nurse prescribing has not been as high as predicted. A questionnaire survey of all 251 practice nurses in one southern English county was conducted in order to ascertain current roles and responsibilities, prescribing qualifications (both actual and planned), and perceived barriers to acquiring a nurse independent prescriber qualification. The findings identified what local practice nurses perceive to be barriers to nurse prescribing with issues of age, salary, support and training all playing a part in discouraging the uptake of this qualification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the implications of organizational efficiency and financial performance of using a wage strategy for hospitals to compensate their nursing professionals. Three types of nursing professionals are registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and nurse assistants (NAs). Data from short-term stay acute care hospitals in California are used. It was found that a lead pay policy among RNs and a lag pay policies among LPNs and NAs were linked with higher return on assets (ROA) and shorter average length of stay (ALOS).

Aim: To investigate employment policies in England to encourage retention of primary and community nurses over the age of 50 years.Background: Little is known about why older nurses in the primary and community workforce leave or what might encourage them to stay.Methods: Fifteen telephone interviews with staff with responsibility for the nursing workforce in five primary care trusts (PCTs) and associated Workforce Development Confederations and Strategic Health Authorities.Results: When older nurses left, there was concern about the loss of skills, experience and intelligence about local communities. Strategies such as flexible working, support for returners and carers, and career breaks had been introduced. Concern about pensions was a key influence on nurses\'02 decisions to stay or leave nursing.Conclusions: Efforts were being made to introduce employment strategies to improve the working lives and experiences of all nurses. Some policies designed more specifically for younger nurses requiring childcare were also being taken up by older nurses with caring responsibilities. There were numerous strategies in place or being set up to improve recruitment and retention, indicating a desire amongst managers to retain their pool of nurses.Implications for Nursing Management: Managers should continue to develop policies to retain older nurses and learn from others with successful strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the impacts on organizations of a new national employment agreement for nurses in New Zealand. In the 1980s, local employer bargaining replaced national awards. As nurses' employment conditions deteriorated, in 2004 that trend was reversed with a new national agreement between the nurses' union and the public sector health boards. Qualitative information was collected and analyzed from two employers covered by the agreement and from five nongovernment organizations not party to the agreement. In the organizations studied, there was evidence of winners and losers within and between organizations, flow-on effects on other groups of nurses not represented by the union and on other employee groups. Although impacts on public sector nursing workforces were generally positive, some imbalances and unintended consequences arose from the agreement. Differing experiences and perspectives of a national pay agreement largely reflected local nurse market conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with health economist and labor expert Joanne Spetz is presented. When asked about her research on the impact of unions on wages and employment of registered nurses (RNs), she discloses that labor unions protect their members' wages during surplus and downward pressures. She discusses the impact of patient-to-nurse staffing ratios in hospitals, on nurses and patients in California. She also reveals her project together with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

This article analyses the pay formation process for nurses in the new organizational form of health call centres (HCCs) in Sweden. It finds that HCC tele-nurses have gained a better labour market position than both the average call centre employees in other sectors and some other nurses. This specialization of the nursing occupation may thus have importance for gendered pay formation in public healthcare. In evaluating pay formation, the article draws on case studies carried out by the author. It analyses the shift from centralized bargaining towards more decentralized and individualized pay formation and the importance of union organization, economic and professional factors that have contributed to relatively higher pay for these workers. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of this process for the gender pay gap in the state sector and limitations to future gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the 2004 California Board of Registered Nursing Survey, a two-stage least-square equation was estimated to examine the effect of wages on hours worked by female registered nurses. Wages were found to have a nonlinear effect on hours worked, with a backward bending supply curve. Wages had a positive effect on the average hours worked per week up to $24.99 per hour and a negative effect between $30.00 and $100.00 per hour when compared with the wage category of $25.00 to $29.99. Results suggest that wages are important to secure the labor supply but do not increase aggregate supply beyond a wage threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at raises for nurses by specialty, facility type, and state. The data is compared with that of the 2007 survey. The increase in salaries for hourly, salaried, and part-time nurses is reported. The impact of setting and hospital demographics on wages is examined. The hourly wages for specialty nurses such as outpatient nurses, post-anesthesia nurses, and psychiatric nurses are also reported.

Aim: This paper examines the labour market impact of a new national pay award for nurses implemented in New Zealand in 2004/5 - the Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA). Background: The health system in New Zealand is unusual in that, while retaining a public sector system, the focus of pay determination for nurses over the last 20 years has shifted first from national to local pay determination, and then more recently reversed this trend, moving back to a national level pay determination. The shift back to a national pay determination approach in 2004/5 is therefore worthy of examination, both in terms of its labour market impact, and as a case study in the use of national level pay determination. Methods: The research was conducted in 2007-8. A rapid appraisal method was used, based on key stakeholder interviews, a document and literature review and a review and analysis of available data on the New Zealand nurse labour market, and trends in application rates to schools of nursing were assessed. In addition, interviews with managers of two District Health Boards, and interviews with five non-government employers of nurses, were conducted. Results: Indicators pointing to improvements included: steady (though not rapid) growth in staff numbers; reduced difficulty in recruiting; reduced vacancy rates; and increased application rates to schools of nursing. Managers interviewed in the study supported these positive indications, but some health-care employers not covered by the pay award reported negative knock-on effects (e.g. needing to match DHB rates, increased retention and recruitment difficulties). Conclusions: Available nurse labour market data provide an incomplete but compelling picture of the positive impacts of the MECA in a period of a very tight labour market. While much of the content of the 2004/5 agreement could be characterized as a 'normal' pay bargaining contract, there were also issues that differentiated it from the norm. In particular, it included an agreement to establish a safe staffing commission to assess the impact and implications of low staffing levels, nursing workload, and to establish guidelines on safe staffing and healthy workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that examined factors which influence nurses to leave their jobs. The results of a survey given to nurses in Taiwan to rate the quality of patient care in their units, job satisfaction, and whether they were considering leaving their jobs are examined. Researchers found that factors such as wage dissatisfaction and work shift should be addressed by hospital administrators.

The article discusses the Nurse Incentives Project which examined nurses' satisfaction with employment incentives and managerial actions which might decrease or delay turnover by registered nurses. Generational priorities and flexible benefits programs are examined. The author explains that attention to incentives is becoming a major priority for nursing. Nurses identify working conditions and wages as two issues that affect their intention to leave or stay.

The article discusses merit pay programs for retaining employees and the development of performance measures that are objective. Performance measures should line up with an organization's goals and everyone should be working together for a common purpose. The authors discuss the development of a program at Roper Saint Francis Healthcare (RSFH). RSFH worked with the Studor organization and used its Leader Evaluation Management (LEM) tool to help their leaders achieve their goals. The way the RSFH task force created an evaluation tool to objectively measure performance is explored.