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Mandatory internal mobility in French hospitals: the results of imposed management practices
Author(s) -
Schingen Edith,
Dariel Odessa,
Lefebvre Hélène,
Challier MariePierre,
RothanTondeur Monique
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of nursing management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1365-2834
pISSN - 0966-0429
DOI - 10.1111/jonm.12417
Subject(s) - nursing management , nursing , unit (ring theory) , specialty , work (physics) , service (business) , medicine , productivity , event (particle physics) , business , psychology , family medicine , marketing , mechanical engineering , physics , economics , engineering , macroeconomics , mathematics education , quantum mechanics
Aim To describe the impact of a mandatory internal mobility policy on nurses working in French state‐funded health establishments. Background Public hospitals in France rely on the internal mobility of nursing staff to respond to organisational needs, to reduce costs and to increase productivity. However, there is very little data on the impact of such management practices on the nurses themselves. Method A cross‐sectional study, including 3077 nurses from 35 hospitals in the region of Paris, was conducted. Data were collected using a validated self‐assessment questionnaire. Results Forty per cent of French nurses are required to work in different units. This mobility differs according to individual characteristics [age ( P = 0.04), length of service ( P = 0.017)] and type of environment [hospital ( P < 0.0001), specialty ( P < 0.0001)]. Conclusion We can distinguish two types of approaches for implementing a mandatory staff nurse mobility policy. The first is an event that is regular, planned and lasts for several days. The second is an event that is irregular, short and organised the day before or the day of the change. Overall, while nurses are dissatisfied with all types of mandatory unit changes, this dissatisfaction is primarily a result of the irregular mobility events. Implications for Nursing Management This study demonstrates the importance of implementing a planned inter‐unit mobility event and proposes recommendations for this type of implementation.