Workplace Discrimination and Short Sleep Among Healthcare Workers: The Buffering Effect of People-Oriented Culture

Objective: Examine the association of discrimination and short sleep and the buffering effect of people-oriented culture in the workplace among nurses and patient care associates. Methods: Used a mixed-methods design from the 2018 Boston Hospital Workers Health Study (N ¼ 845) and semi-structured interviews among nurse directors (N ¼ 16). Results: We found that people-oriented culture reduced the odds of short sleep and slightly attenuated the association of discrimination and short sleep. People-oriented culture did not buffer the effects of discrimination on short sleep. Qualitative findings showed that discrimination occurred between co-workers in relation to their job titles and existing support in the workplace does not address discrimination. Conclusions: Healthcare industries need to implement specific programs and services aimed at addressing discrimination which can potentially improve health outcomes among workers.