What Nursing Can Mean--New Followers Re-post

An Article from the Nursing Center--Nurse Staffing and Inpatient Hospital Mortality

SPECIAL ARTICLE

Jack Needleman, Ph.D., Peter Buerhaus, Ph.D., R.N., V. Shane Pankratz, Ph.D., Cynthia L. Leibson, Ph.D., Susanna R. Stevens, M.S., and Marcelline Harris, Ph.D., R.N.

N Engl J Med 2011; 364:1037-1045March 17, 2011

Nurse Staffing and Inpatient Hospital Mortality

BACKGROUND

Cross-sectional studies of hospital-level administrative data have shown an association between lower levels of staffing of registered nurses (RNs) and increased patient mortality. However, such studies have been criticized because they have not shown a direct link between the level of staffing and individual patient experiences and have not included sufficient statistical controls.

RESULTS

Staffing by RNs was within 8 hours of the target level for 84% of shifts, and patient turnover was within 1 SD of the day-shift mean for 93% of shifts. Overall mortality was 61% of the expected rate for similar patients on the basis of modified diagnosis-related groups. There was a significant association between increased mortality and increased exposure to unit shifts during which staffing by RNs was 8 hours or more below the target level (hazard ratio per shift 8 hours or more below target, 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 1.03; P<0.001). The association between increased mortality and high patient turnover was also significant (hazard ratio per high-turnover shift, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.06; P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In this retrospective observational study, staffing of RNs below target levels was associated with increased mortality, which reinforces the need to match staffing with patients' needs for nursing care. (Funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.)

Is this a surprise for anyone? Really?

I have read many studies that show a correlation between proper staffing an many sentinel events, i.e., not only patient mortality, but, medical errors, patient falls, pressure ulcers, and increase in infections as well.

And, OOPS..by the way, these studies have also shown that properstaffing also improves nurse satisfaction and decreases turnover rates...

My oh My, what a revelation and a shame that such a study is needed.

Re Post...From the early days

Here's a question:

How many nurses believe that point-of-care testing should benefit the staff that draws the blood, runs the tests and trouble-shoots the machinery???

I vote for Nursing Revenue from POC testing.