Nursing Survey: Transformational Leadership, Workplace Injury, Absenteeism

A national nursing assistant survey yielded some interesting findings as seen on the Health Care Management Review website. Brought to our attention by Jennifer Christian, M.D., the study tells that nursing assistants (NAs) are an important human resource in health care. They provide direct care to more than 1.5 million nursing home patients in about 16,100 nursing home settings according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A higher turnover rate in the field (about 66 percent in 2007) among NAs may be linked to reduced quality of patient care in nursing homes, according to the study.

Naturally, workplace injury is a serious concern among NAs, the study states. Transformational leadership (TL) has long been popular among management scholars and health services researchers, but no research studies have empirically tested the association of TL with workplace injuries and absenteeism among nursing assistants (NAs).(WCxKit)

The cross-sectional study explores whether TL is associated with workplace injuries and absenteeism among NAs. They analyzed the 2004 National Nursing Assistant Survey data. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to test the role of TL in the context of workplace performances and results revealed the TL model was positively linked to workplace injury in the level of NAs. Injury-related absenteeism was also associated with the TL style, indicating that TL behaviors may help address workplace absence among NAs.

Findings suggest introducing TL practices may benefit NAs in improving workplace performances.

Over the past 10-year period (1995-2004), about 800,000 nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides were injured in the workplace, the report says. Over the same period, 154 workers in the occupation were killed on the job. Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants experience the third highest number of injuries and illness, exceeded only by truck drivers and laborers and material movers. (WCxKit)

In a prospective study investigating workplace injuries among NAs in Washington State, revealed that about 46 percent of the sampled respondents reported back and shoulder injuries. The study was based on a national survey and reports that more than half of certified NAs had at least one work-related injury in the past year. Prior studies have suggested that occupational injury may be blamed for the attrition rate of NAs.

Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing, publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.

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