The Returns to Nursing: Evidence from a Parental Leave Program

Benjamin U. Friedrich and Martin Hackmann

No 23174, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Nurses comprise the largest health profession. In this paper, we measure the effect of nurses on health care delivery and patient health outcomes across sectors. Our empirical strategy takes advantage of a parental leave program, which led to a sudden, unintended, and persistent 12% reduction in nurse employment. Our findings indicate detrimental effects on hospital care delivery as indicated by an increase in 30-day readmission rates and a distortion of technology utilization. The effects for nursing home care are more drastic. We estimate a persistent 13% increase in nursing home mortality among the elderly aged 85 and older. Our results also highlight an unintended negative consequence of parental leave programs borne by providers and patients.

JEL-codes: D22 H75 I10 I11 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-hea and nep-lab
Note: AG EH LS PE
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

Published as Benjamin U Friedrich & Martin B Hackmann & Uta Schoenberg, 2021. "The Returns to Nursing: Evidence from a Parental-Leave Program," The Review of Economic Studies, vol 88(5), pages 2308-2343.

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