Patient Outcomes
How does appropriate nurse staffing directly affect patient safety?
Reduces medication errors, infections, falls, and overall mortality rates
How is nurse burnout related to the safety of patients?
Overworked nurses may be more likely to make errors, provide inadequate/rushed care, and have overall decreased job performance
Why may hospitals with better staffing have higher nurse retention?
Less burnout, nurses feel valued, more supportive work environments
How does an organization’s physical environment impact safe staffing?
Workplace safety measures such as adequate staffing and safe nurse-to-patient ratios reduce the strain on nurses and improve patient outcomes
Why may hospitals with higher patient-to nurse ratios also have higher readmission rates?
Less thorough care, less patient teaching and education, which can lead to complications (that could be preventable)
What factors may contribute to high rates of nurse turnover, and how may safe staffing combat this?
High stress, long/extended shifts, burnout. Safe staffing has been shown to improve job satisfaction by alleviating these
What are some potential financial consequences of poor nurse retention/high nurse turnover?
Costs of recruitment, training, and temporary staff
How may cognitive/psycho-social work demands have an impact on nurses’ well-being in understaffed units?
Role strain, increased stress, emotional exhaustion can lead to burnout and lower job satisfaction
How may nurse staffing impact patient satisfaction?
Better nurse-patient communication, more timely care, emotional support
Why could an understaffed unit experience more sick leave/calls from nurses?
Having an increased workload can contribute to increased fatigue, weaken the immune system, and lead to more mental health issues
How is workplace safety impacted by adequate staffing?
Less fatigue that may cause errors, lower risk of workplace injury or patient harm
What external policy factors impact safe staffing practices in healthcare?
Healthcare legislation, funding and policies all impact staffing levels and workforce sustainability
How does inadequate staffing impact length of patient stay in-hospital?
Can cause delays in patient care, increased infections/complications from inadequate or rushed treatment
How might safe nurse staffing contribute to improved teamwork and unit culture?
Manageable workloads can allow for effective collaboration, sharing of knowledge/expertise, increased support, and an overall more positive work environment
How can safe staffing end up saving hospitals money?
Reducing costly errors, less overtime, less expenses due to nurse turnover, fewer readmissions
How may an organization’s social climate impact the possible implementation of safe staffing policies?
A workplace culture that values patient safety and nurse well-being may prioritize safe staffing, while profit-driven organizational culture may ignore recommendations
How does appropriate nurse staffing impact overall public health?
Reduced hospital burden, healthier patients, and lower infection rates can contribute to a stronger healthcare system and society
Why could nurses be faced with fewer ethical dilemmas on a well-staffed unit?
Less opportunity to have to choose between competing patient needs, allowing more ethical care to be provided and less moral distress
How does safe staffing impact a hospital’s reputation?
Higher patient satisfaction, better patient outcomes, and lower mortality rate all impact the public’s perception
How might external social-cultural factors impact the demand for safe nurse staffing?
Aging population, more comorbidities, increasing patient complexity