The deployment of temporary nurses and its association with permanently-employed nurses’ outcomes in psychiatric hospitals: a secondary analysis

Aims This study’s objective was to investigate possible associations between the frequency of temporary nurse deployments and permanently-employed nurses’ outcomes including staffing levels in Swiss psychiatric hospitals. Background Faced with widespread nursing shortages, some nursing managers frequently deploy temporary nurses to meet their staffing needs. While various studies have investigated the relationships between temporary nurses’ deployment and permanently-employed nurse outcomes, few anywhere, and none in Switzerland, have explored such deployments’ relationships with permanently-employed nurses’ job satisfaction, burnout, or intent to leave their organization or profession. Furthermore, especially in psychiatric hospitals, research on temporary nurse deployments and their association with permanently-employed nurses’ outcomes remains scarce. Methods This secondary analysis is based on the MatchRN Psychiatry study, which included 79 psychiatric units and 651 nurses. Using descriptive analyses and linear mixed modeling, we assessed the frequency of temporary nurses’ deployment and its association with four permanently-employed nurse outcomes: staffing levels, job satisfaction, burnout, and intention to leave their organization or profession. Results Roughly one-quarter of the studied units reported frequently deploying temporary nurses. Nonetheless, no differences in nurse staffing levels were found. Regarding permanently-employed nurses’ outcomes, we identified slightly higher levels of intention to leave the profession (beta = 0.18; 95% CI [0.03–0.33]) and burnout (beta = 0.19; 95% CI [0.4–0.33]) on units where temporary nurses were frequently deployed. Conclusion Deploying temporary nurses appears to help units maintain adequate staffing levels. However, additional research will be necessary to better understand whether working conditions are the common cause of temporary nurses’ deployment and permanently-employed nurse outcomes. Until more information is available, unit managers should consider alternatives to deploying temporary nurses.