SHORT-RUN LABOR SUPPLY OF REGISTERED NURSES (LABOR SUPPLY, NURSES).
Contributors: University of Wisconsin--Madison.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 272
Subjects: Economics, Labor.; Economics, Finance.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: We study the short-run labor supply behavior of registered nurses in the U.S.A., using data from the National Sample Surveys of Registered Nurses in 1984 and 1988. In the short run, registered nurses are viewed as deciding: (1) whether to work in nursing, (2) whether to work full-time or part-time, (3) whether to work in hospitals or nonhospitals, (4) how many hours to work per week, and (5) on the specialty in nursing if they work in hospitals. We find that both the wage rate and the autonomy of nursing jobs are important factors determining whether to work in nursing and are crucial policy incentives to increase the supply of registered nurses. Moreover, the autonomy incentive policy will lead to substantial cost saving. The wage rate is also an important factor influencing the choice of full-time vs. part-time and the choice of hospital vs. nonhospital and can be an important policy instrument to increase the labor supply of nurses.

This study shows that health policy makers need a more specific policy target in deciding whether to increase the labor supply of registered nurses: (1) in only the hospital sector, or (2) in the overall nursing field. Deciding on these two different policy goals requires a cost-effective policy design. Increasing the labor supply in hospitals requires an increase in the wage rate for full-time positions in hospitals. However, increasing the supply in overall nursing requires an increase in the wage rate for full-time positions in both hospitals and nonhospitals. The autonomy incentive is a less important factor than the wage rate and is not as effective in attracting nurses to work full-time or in hospitals as it is in drawing nurses to work in nursing. We find that both the wage rate and the autonomy do not explain hours of work for part-timers and hospital specialty choice.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-12, Section: A, page: 4231.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MADISON, 1990.

School code: 0262.