Effects of nurse staffing on hospital-acquired conditions and length of stay in community hospitals

Abstract

Background: Error-free care is the goal of health care professionals, consumers, and public policy makers. Because nurses can be the last barrier between a patient and an error, there is a need to examine this pressing nursing issue-nurse staffing.

Purpose: This research examined the predictive relationships between nurse staffing and patient outcomes in hospitals.

Method: A quantitative, cross-sectional design was used to examine data on nearly 35,000 patients from 11 medical-surgical units in 4 hospitals. Data were extracted from administrative databases over a 2-year period and were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling.

Discussion: Findings from the study indicated that higher registered nurse (RN) and licensed practical nurse hours per equivalent patient day and higher percentages of RNs in the skill mix predicted a lower number of adverse events and shorter lengths of stay, controlling for patient age and complications.

Conclusion: This study, with its improved methodology, supports previous findings and should be used as evidence for changes to nurse staffing.