Evidence for Nurse-Patient Ratios as Patient Safety Strategy is Limited

While evidence supports an association between nurse-patient ratios and inpatient mortality, a lack of stronger evidence precludes a definitive conclusion, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine.

The author reviewed evidence on nurse staffing ratios and in-hospital mortality through September 2012. No study reported any serious harm related to increasing nurse staffing. The strongest evidence indicating a link between more nursing staff and less inpatient mortality was a longitudinal study in a single hospital that found mortality decreased by 2-7 percent.


However, no study evaluated an intervention to increase nurse staffing ratios, which limits a stronger conclusion on increasing nurse staffing ratios as a patient safety strategy, according to the author.

More Articles on Nurse Staffing:

Michigan Lawmakers Push for Nurse-to-Patient Ratios in Hospitals
Hospital Leaders Contest Proposed Nurse Staffing Ratio Mandate

Nevada Bill Would Allow NPs to Practice Independently

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars