SOEP Brown Bag Seminar

This study asks how work intensity differs between nurses that work in three different hospital settings: 1) non-digitalized hospital, 2) digitalized hospital and 3) digitalized+semi-automated hospital. Theoretical and political expectations are that nurses experience less work intensity with higher digital maturity of the hospital. The digital transformation of hospitals is a current political strategy to lessen the shortage of skilled nurses. The study draws on a Mixed-Methods-Design. In the quantitative part I estimate a linear probability model, making use of the unique SOEPcore items on digital work resources (v37). The quantitative results indicate - in contrast to theoretical and political expectations - that nurses who work in digitalized hospitals experience a higher level of work intensity than nurses who work in non-digitalized hospitals. Moreover, I can show that nurses who work in digitalized and semi-automated hospitals experience less work intensity than nurses who work in "only" digitalized hospitals. This second finding aligns to theoretical and political expectations. While the linear probability model has several shortcomings, this study is nevertheless the first study drawing on representative data concerning the question on work intensity, digitalization and semi-automation in acute care nursing.