Is this facility’s problem unique?

Most health care facilities conduct regular employee surveys to identify and address problems among their workforce. However, it can be difficult to for a facility to determine if the issues identified in their employee survey are unique to their institution or similar to what is happening at other facilities nationwide.

To answer this question, it would be helpful for health care facilities to have a national data set for comparison. Recently, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) created Worker Health Charts, a tool that charts data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and other national and state-level data sources. The data cover various topics ranging from psychosocial exposures in the workplace (e.g., high job demands and work–life imbalance) to chronic conditions (e.g., cancer and high blood pressure) found among certain jobs, industries, or demographics. Nurse managers and occupational health staff can use Worker Health Charts to include questions in employee surveys and compare their data to national statistics.

How national data can inform a local plan of action.

For example, Anne, an occupational health nurse, is concerned by recent reports from employees about harassment and bullying on the job. On the Worker Health Charts home page, Anne scrolls down to find a menu summarizing the topics for which data are available. After selecting from the options provided, Anne is able to chart data on hostile work environments among health care workers using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). She sees that, nationwide, approximately 14% of workers employed in hospitals report exposure to a hostile work environment. She knows that the percent of workers reporting hostile situations at the hospital in which she works is much higher. This prompts Anne to visit the NIOSH website on Workplace Violence to see how she could provide a better work environment for her employees.

This is just one example of how NHIS data and Worker Health Charts can be used. Worker Health Charts also provides health care worker–related information on:

  • Low back pain
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Workplace health promotion programs
  • General occupational exposures
  • Work organization characteristics
  • Psychosocial occupational exposures
  • Among others

For more guidance in how to use Worker Health Charts, refer to this step-by-step post at the NIOSH Science blog.

By Blair Carlin, health communications intern at NIOSH and student at DePauw University and Amy Mobley, M En, health communications specialist in NIOSH’s Surveillance Branch in the Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations & Field Studies

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.