Work Hours, Work Stress, and Collaboration Among Ward Staff in Relation to Risk of Hospital-Associated Infection Among Patients

Bibliographic Data

ID9102148
AuthorsMarianna Virtanen (0000-0001-8361-3301, University of Helsinki, corresponding author), Tiina Kurvinen (Turku University Hospital), Kirsi Terho (0000-0002-1816-085X, Turku University Hospital), Tuula Oksanen (0000-0002-0004-1035, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health), Reijo Peltonen (Turku University Hospital), Jussi Vahtera (0000-0002-6036-061X, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health), Marianne Routamaa (Turku University Hospital), Marko Elovainio (0000-0002-1401-1910), Mika Kivimäki (0000-0002-4699-5627, University College London)
Year2009
Volume47
Issue3
Pages310-318
Publication date2009-03-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedical Care (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0025-7079 • E-ISSN: 1537-1948
PublisherOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/mlr.0b013e3181893c64
PMID19194334
OpenAlexW1977295108
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited37

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between work hours, work stress, and collaboration among the ward personnel, and the risk of hospital-associated infection among patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data on hospital infections were collected between March and June 2004. These data were linked with ward-level responses to a personnel survey collected during the same time period. SETTING: Medical records of patients in 60 non-psychiatric bed wards in 6 Finnish hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand ninety-two patients and 1159 staff survey responses. MEASUREMENTS: Prevalence surveillance was performed by 4 infection control nurses, using standard criteria. Data on several potential risk factors for infection were collected: sex, age, patient type (surgical vs. other), hospital type (university vs. regional hospital), unit type, number of patients in the ward, exposure to invasive devices, International Classification of Diseases version 10 diagnosis, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and use of corticosteroids. Staff working conditions were measured by survey scales. RESULTS: Ninety-nine cases (9.1%) of hospital-associated infection were found. Multilevel logistic regression analyses, adjusted for hospital factors and patient-related risk factors, showed that long work hours among staff were associated with increased risk of infection [odds ratio (OR) 2.74, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-7.04]. Other staff-related correlates of infection were high work stress, as indicated by high imbalance between efforts and rewards (OR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.38-4.42), low trust between work unit members (OR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.27-4.43), injustice in the distribution of work (OR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.04-3.16), and poor collaboration between ward supervisors (OR: 2.46; 95% CI: 1.38-4.38). CONCLUSIONS: Long work hours, high work stress, and poor collaboration among the ward staff are associated with hospital-associated infection among patients

Confidence interval · Family medicine · Infection control · Intensive care medicine · Logistic regression · Medical record · Odds ratio · Emergency Medicine · Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout · Infection Control in Healthcare · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Nursing education and management

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