A consortium of investigators from 13 countries, led by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, found nurses who were more satisfied with their working conditions were more likely to have patients satisfied with their care.
The massive study, which in some countries involved every hospital, surveyed 61,168 bedside nurses and 131,318 patients in more than 1,000 hospitals in 13 countries over the course of three years. The researchers discovered that in hospitals with better work environments and fewer patients in each nurse's workload, patient and nurses both reported higher standards of care and more satisfied patients.
The researchers also found patient safety is a concern in hospitals with poor work environments and insufficient nurse staffing. For instance:
• High nurse burnout and job dissatisfaction were common among hospital nurses in Europe and the U.S.
• On average, only 60 percent of patients were satisfied with their hospital care.
• Those nurses reporting high levels of burnout (notably in Greece and England) also reported an intention to leave their current positions.
• Each additional patient added to a nurse's workload increased the odds of a nurse reporting poor or fair quality of care.
• Patients were less satisfied with their hospital stay in those hospitals that had higher percentages of burnt out or dissatisfied nurses.
Despite the diversity in healthcare systems studied, the researchers concluded many countries encountered the same problems regarding hospital quality, safety and nurse burnout and dissatisfaction.
The massive study, which in some countries involved every hospital, surveyed 61,168 bedside nurses and 131,318 patients in more than 1,000 hospitals in 13 countries over the course of three years. The researchers discovered that in hospitals with better work environments and fewer patients in each nurse's workload, patient and nurses both reported higher standards of care and more satisfied patients.
The researchers also found patient safety is a concern in hospitals with poor work environments and insufficient nurse staffing. For instance:
• High nurse burnout and job dissatisfaction were common among hospital nurses in Europe and the U.S.
• On average, only 60 percent of patients were satisfied with their hospital care.
• Those nurses reporting high levels of burnout (notably in Greece and England) also reported an intention to leave their current positions.
• Each additional patient added to a nurse's workload increased the odds of a nurse reporting poor or fair quality of care.
• Patients were less satisfied with their hospital stay in those hospitals that had higher percentages of burnt out or dissatisfied nurses.
Despite the diversity in healthcare systems studied, the researchers concluded many countries encountered the same problems regarding hospital quality, safety and nurse burnout and dissatisfaction.
Related Articles on Safety:
10 Keys to Designing an Effective Patient Engagement Strategy
Review of Literature Shows Challenge of Controlling Blood Glucose Levels
New Jersey Hospital Performance Report Shows Improvement, But Room for Growth