Bridging Labor in the Hospital and the Organizational Contexts of Infection Prevention

• In Event: 448 - Section on Medical Sociology Paper Session. The Social Organization of Medicine

Abstract

An emerging literature examines “bridging work” that occurs when people cross occupational or professional boundaries. This study expands the theory of bridging work with two arguments. First, organizational structures can increase the likelihood that bridging work happens. Second, bridging work can promote organizational performance when it links workers that have disparate knowledge related to the organization’s primary task. We test our hypotheses with data from interviews with 193 infection preventionists working in a random sample of US hospitals. We find that a hospital’s size, infection control practices, and prior performance in infection control are associated with infection preventionists’ working with medical doctors. We also find that relationships with medical doctors are correlated with reduced catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Thus, organizational context shapes bridging work and bridging work can have tangible consequences for organizations.

Authors

• Fabio Rojas, Indiana University

• Lauren Apgar, Indiana University

• Emily Meanwell, Indiana University

• Clayton Thomas, Indiana University

• Shibashis Mukherjee