NURSE STAFFING ISSUES: FROM CONFLICT TO COLLABORATION

BENJAMIN WOLKINSON, PH D
DAVID HAMES, PH D
CATHERINE LUNDY

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DOI: 10.2190/QND7-VXWP-3GE5-5FQ6

Abstract

The proliferation of managed care, the growth of for-profit hospitals, and other factors have dramatically changed the face of health care in the United States. Hospitals have responded to these competitive pressures by reducing the size of their nursing staffs and reengineering nurses' jobs to reduce costs. For nurses, these efforts have engendered significant concerns regarding job security, inadequate staffing, and excessive workloads. In this study, relevant contract provisions were analyzed to determine how nursing unions have used the collective bargaining process to resist hospitals' efforts to reduce staffing levels and reengineer jobs. Suggestions for union and hospital negotiators are discussed.

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