Impact Of Nurse Unionization On Fiscal Viability And Selected Measures Of Quality In Hospitals

Abstract

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Seventy-three New York hospitals were examined to determine if a difference existed between hospitals with nursing unions versus those without as it pertains to fiscal viability and quality of care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Several financial variables were used to construct a fiscal viability index; and a quality index was created from selected mortality and procedural measures that may be used to measure specific aspects of institutional care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The premise that the union status of a hospital’s nursing staff will influence fiscal viability and quality is based on the impact that unionization may have on staffing and cost per patient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The literature is replete with studies that assess the relationship between nurse staffing levels and quality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In some cases there is a clear and compelling relationship, but in others, it is indeterminate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Utilizing union status, selected employee variables, and financial and quality of care indices, four statistical models were prepared to explain these the interaction of these variables <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p>