Absenteeism of nursing staff: decisions and actions of nurse managers

Objective: Measure absenteeism among nurses and nursing technicians/aides in three hospitals and explore possible management decisions by nursing managers to deal with it. Method: Quantitative, qualitative study. In the qualitative stage, monthly rates, annual average and overall rates of absenteeism were measured among nurses and nursing technicians/aides from 12 service units in the hospitals, over 12 months, according to the equation proposed by the Support Center for Hospital Management (NAGEH - Nucleo de Apoio a Gestao Hospitalar). In the qualitative stage, 12 nursing managers from 12 units were interviewed. Results: The quantitative stage revealed important differences in each institution and between institutions, with various monthly rates exceeding the monthly rate of 6.7% recommended by the Federal Council of Nursing (COFEN - Conselho Federal de Enfermagem). The qualitative stage examined positive impact decisions taken by these institutions, where relationships with managers, dialogue, and meeting the physical and emotional demands of professionals were considered important factors. Conclusion: Absenteeism was a reality in day-to-day nursing staff management. It varied according to the month of the year and in different service units, and it was possible to classify these units according to the degree of the problem. In addition, the results showed that employee illness, dissatisfaction with institutional conditions, and inadequate interpersonal relationships were key factors, enabling management decisions based on each hospital's particular reality.