A review of data from the University HealthSystem Consortium found more nurses and higher nurse staffing rates correlated with better patient outcomes, including fewer heart failure-related deaths and lower infection rates, at nonsafety net hospitals. Researchers found safety net hospitals had worse patient outcomes than other hospitals despite similar staffing levels. Nurse.com (3/25)
OH My...And again it is written that safe staffing makes a difference to patient outcomes..How many hammers do hospitals need to be hit with to realize that staffing ratios can not rely on just numbers, patient safety relies on staffing relating to patient acuity. On floors and in the ICU you should be prepared for any patient crisis. In the ER, especially if, you are a specialty center, i.e., stroke, cardiac, etc., you should have the staff to meet the needs of any patient/s that comes in.
DO hospitals really run like businesses, with acceptable risks and losses? Is collateral damage (sentinel events, poor patient outcomes) expected when executives make these staffing decisions? I understand that healthcare has become a great business, but bottom-line thinking does not work for nurses who expect proper staffing so that they can deliver not only acceptable but exceptional healthcare...The Right Way..
Maybe Joint Commission should consider SAFE STAFFING as one of their resolutions when they are handing out all of their other mandates....
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