Staffing and Worker Injury in Nursing Homes

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 95; no. 7; pp. 1220 - 1225
• Main Authors: Trinkoff, Alison M, Johantgen, Meg, Muntaner, Carles, Le, Rong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.07.2005; American Public Health Association; American Journal of Public Health 2005
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Certification; Data Collection; Health care industry; Health participants; Humans; Injuries; Medicaid; Medical sciences; Medical Staff; Medicare; Miscellaneous; Nurses; Nursing care; Nursing Homes; Occupational accidents; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; Occupational health; Occupational safety; Older people; Pallets; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Regression Analysis; Research and Practice; States; United States - epidemiology; Workers; Workers compensation; Workforce planning; Wounds and Injuries - epidemiology; United States; West Virginia; Ohio; United States > US; Maryland; Human; Long stay; Occupational accident; Number of employees; Health care staff; Homes for the aged; Staff recruitment; Nursing home; Occupational medicine; Public health; Care
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.045070

We examined the relationship between nursing home staffing levels and worker injury rates in 445 nursing homes in 3 states. We obtained First Reports of Injury and workers' compensation data from 3 states (Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland) for the year 2000. We then linked these data to Medicare's Online Survey, Certification and Reporting system to obtain nursing home staffing details and organizational descriptors. We used ordinary least squares and log-transformed regression models to examine the association between worker injury rate and nursing home staffing and organizational characteristics. Total nursing hours per resident day were significantly associated with worker injury rates in nursing homes after we adjusted for organizational characteristics and state dummy variables (P=.0004). Our findings suggest that nursing home staffing levels have an important impact on worker health. These findings were supported for multiple facilities across different states; therefore, policies and resources that increase staffing levels in nursing homes are warranted.