Patterns of professional availability among nurses in the Portuguese National Health Service: an administrative data-based analysis within the framework of the sustainable development goals
Sara Remédio Marques, Rosa Isabel RodriguesPurpose
This study aims to analyse patterns of professional availability among nurses working in the Portuguese National Health Service (NHS), using administrative data for the year 2024, with a specific focus on absence typologies classified under the administrative category “Other”.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative, descriptive-analytical approach based on official administrative data was adopted. The analysis focused on identifying profiles of association between absence typologies and absence duration, as well as on characterising profiles of professional unavailability.
Findings
Absenteeism was primarily structured according to both the duration and the typology of absence, which allowed the identification of three distinct profiles of professional unavailability: (1) short, occasional absences associated with functional adjustments in work organisation; (2) short-term absences related to civic participation and community service activities and (3) prolonged absences associated with personal development and temporal flexibility.
Research limitations/implications
The data refer to a single calendar year, which constrains the analysis of temporal dynamics. Future research may benefit from longitudinal designs and interannual comparisons.
Practical implications
The findings provide relevant evidence for strategic human resource planning in healthcare, highlighting the need for differentiated approaches to absenteeism management.
Social implications
Absenteeism is interpreted as an indirect indicator of professional availability, with implications for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to decent work, health and well-being and the reduction of inequalities.
Originality/value
This study draws on national administrative data and addresses a domain that remains underexplored in the literature on health organisation and management. The “Other” category is particularly relevant from a management perspective, as it includes forms of absence that are less predictable and may require short-notice adjustments in staffing, with direct implications for workforce planning and service continuity.