Nurse staffing lags at hospitals with more Black patients: Study

A recent study led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia found that nurse staffing rates are worse in hospitals with the highest percentage of Black patients.

The study, published Jan. 2 in Nursing Research, analyzed the nurse staffing rate at 574 hospitals using the 2015 annual registered nurse survey conducted in National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators hospitals. The hospitals' patient population were classified as low, medium or high percentages of patients of Black race using the 2019 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review database.

The study found that nursing staffing was worse in high-Black-serving hospitals compared to medium- and low-Black-serving facilities. Researchers adjusted the data for unit type and found hospitals with high and medium Black patient populations also had 6% more patients-per-nurse than low-Black-serving hospitals. It was worse for academic medical centers and for hospitals in metropolitan areas where patient ratios were 7% higher.

The study authors said nurse staffing distribution may have worsened during the pandemic.

"It's particularly concerning because seven out of 10 Black patients are hospitalized in Black-serving hospitals, so there's really a population implication for the Black patient population," study author Eileen Lake, PhD, RN, a Penn nursing professor and associate director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, said in a system news release.

The authors provided two potential policy solutions:

  • Black patients can seek out better-staffed hospitals

  • Improve staffing at Black-serving hospitals

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