STAFFING RATIOS AND PATIENT OUTCOMES: EXPLORING THE LINK BETWEEN NURSING WORKFORCE AND QUALITY CARE
Author Name: 1. Misbah Moin, 2. Mukesh Joshi, 3. Rajpal Singh Yadav, 4. Shikha, 5. Richa Bharti, 6. Sanjay Singodia, 7. Ibrahim Abdul Azeez Mulla, 8. Julie Samson, 9. Dr. Vijaya.D
Volume/Issue: 05/04
Country: India
DOI NO.: 08.2020-25662434 DOI Link: https://doi-ds.org/doilink/09.2024-17719672/UIJIR
Affiliation:
- Nursing Tutor, College of Nursing, AMU, Aligarh, UP, India.
- Staff Nurse, Autonomous State Medical College Firozabad, UP, India.
- Principal, Govt. College of Nursing Tijara, Rajasthan, India.
- Nursing officer, AIIMS, New Delhi, India.
- Sc. OBG (N), Maharishi Markandeswar College of Nursing, Mullana, Ambala, India.
- Principal, Arihant College of Nursing, Haridwar, India.
- Nursing Tutor, Sri Siddeshwar Samsthe’s College of Nursing, India.
- Principal/ Professor, Dept of Child Health Nursing, The VP Kanakaraddi Memorial College of Nursing, Mahalingpur, India.
- Principal, Bhagwant Institute of Medical Sciences, 17th Milestone, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India.
ABSTRACT
This systematic review investigates the relationship between nursing staffing ratios and patient outcomes, revealing a significant correlation between adequate nursing workforce and improved quality care. Analyzing 25 studies from major databases, our findings indicate that higher nursing staffing ratios are associated with reduced patient mortality (p < 0.01), decreased hospital-acquired infections (p < 0.05), and enhanced patient satisfaction (p < 0.001). Conversely, insufficient staffing ratios are linked to adverse outcomes, including increased morbidity and prolonged hospital stays. Our study underscores the critical importance of evidence-based staffing strategies, emphasizing the need for healthcare policymakers and administrators to prioritize optimal nursing workforce ratios to ensure high-quality patient care. This systematic review examines the link between nursing staffing ratios and patient outcomes. Our analysis of 25 studies reveals that higher staffing ratios are associated with reduced mortality, fewer hospital-acquired infections, and improved patient satisfaction. Our findings emphasize the importance of evidence-based staffing strategies to ensure high-quality patient care. This systematic review (N = 25 studies) investigated the relationship between nursing staffing ratios and patient outcomes. Results showed significant correlations between higher staffing ratios and improved outcomes, including reduced mortality (p < .01), infections (p < .05), and increased patient satisfaction (p < .001). Findings inform evidence-based staffing strategies for optimal patient care. To examine the association between in-hospital mortality and four nurse staffing variables-the ratio of total nursing staff to patients, the proportion of RNs to total nursing staff, the mean years of RN experience, and the percentage of nurses with bachelor of science in nursing degrees. Studies suggest that nurse staffing changes affect patient and organizational outcomes, but the impact of nurse staffing on patient outcomes has not been studied sufficiently and the results of the previous studies are equivocal. Additionally, the studies of the relationship between nurse staffing and patient outcomes or the impact of nurse staffing on patient outcomes had not been previously examined in Thailand. A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational research design was employed to study the research questions. Data of 2531 patients admitted to seven medical units and 10 surgical units of a 2300-bed university hospital in Thailand was used. All data of patients admitted to this hospital with four common groups of principal diagnoses (diseases of the heart, malignant neoplasms [cancer of all forms], hypertension and cerebrovascular diseases, and pneumonia and other diseases of the lung) was extracted from patient charts and discharge summaries in the calendar year 1999.
Key words: Nursing staffing ratios, Patient outcomes, Quality care, Nursing workforce, Healthcare quality
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