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

Abstract

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.  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.  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.  The literature is replete with studies that assess the relationship between nurse staffing levels and quality.  In some cases there is a clear and compelling relationship, but in others, it is indeterminate.  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