tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Emerg Med Australas. 2011 Oct;23(5):615-623. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-6723.2011.01461.x. Epub 2011 Aug 8.
Pandemic (H(1) N(1) ) 2009 Influenza in Australia: Absenteeism and redeployment of emergency medicine and nursing staff.
Considine J, Shaban RZ, Patrick J, Holzhauser K, Aitken P, Clark M, Fielding E, Fitzgerald G.
Source
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria Research Centre for Clinical and Community Practice Innovation, Griffith Health Institute School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University Department of Emergency Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital Nursing Practice Development Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine & Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University The Townsville Hospital, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Abstract
Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of Pandemic (H(1) N(1) ) 2009 Influenza on the Australian emergency nursing and medicine workforce, specifically absenteeism and deployment. Methods: Data were collected using an online survey of 618 members of the three professional emergency medicine or emergency nursing colleges. Results: Despite significant increases in emergency demand during the Pandemic (H(1) N(1) ) 2009 Influenza, 56.6% of emergency nursing and medicine staff reported absenteeism of at least 1 day and only 8.5% of staff were redeployed. Staff illness with influenza-like illness was reported by 37% of respondents, and 87% of respondents who became ill were not tested for the Pandemic (H(1) N(1) ) 2009 Influenza. Of the respondents who became ill, 43% (n= 79) reported missing no days of work and only 8% of respondents (n= 14) reported being absent for more than 5 days. The mean number of days away from work was 3.73 (standard deviation = 3.63). Factors anecdotally associated with staff absenteeism (caregiver responsibilities, concern about personal illness, concern about exposing family members to illness, school closures, risk of quarantine, stress and increased workload) appeared to be of little or no relevance. Redeployment was reported by 8% of respondents and the majority of redeployment was for operational reasons. Conclusion: Future research related to absenteeism, redeployment during actual pandemic events is urgently needed. Workforce data collection should be an integral part of organizational pandemic planning.
? 2011 The Authors. EMA ? 2011 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.
PMID:
21995477
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21995477
Pandemic (H(1) N(1) ) 2009 Influenza in Australia: Absenteeism and redeployment of emergency medicine and nursing staff.
Considine J, Shaban RZ, Patrick J, Holzhauser K, Aitken P, Clark M, Fielding E, Fitzgerald G.
Source
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria Research Centre for Clinical and Community Practice Innovation, Griffith Health Institute School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University Department of Emergency Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital Nursing Practice Development Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine & Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University The Townsville Hospital, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Abstract
Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of Pandemic (H(1) N(1) ) 2009 Influenza on the Australian emergency nursing and medicine workforce, specifically absenteeism and deployment. Methods: Data were collected using an online survey of 618 members of the three professional emergency medicine or emergency nursing colleges. Results: Despite significant increases in emergency demand during the Pandemic (H(1) N(1) ) 2009 Influenza, 56.6% of emergency nursing and medicine staff reported absenteeism of at least 1 day and only 8.5% of staff were redeployed. Staff illness with influenza-like illness was reported by 37% of respondents, and 87% of respondents who became ill were not tested for the Pandemic (H(1) N(1) ) 2009 Influenza. Of the respondents who became ill, 43% (n= 79) reported missing no days of work and only 8% of respondents (n= 14) reported being absent for more than 5 days. The mean number of days away from work was 3.73 (standard deviation = 3.63). Factors anecdotally associated with staff absenteeism (caregiver responsibilities, concern about personal illness, concern about exposing family members to illness, school closures, risk of quarantine, stress and increased workload) appeared to be of little or no relevance. Redeployment was reported by 8% of respondents and the majority of redeployment was for operational reasons. Conclusion: Future research related to absenteeism, redeployment during actual pandemic events is urgently needed. Workforce data collection should be an integral part of organizational pandemic planning.
? 2011 The Authors. EMA ? 2011 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.
PMID:
21995477
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21995477