PATIENT
MORTALITY
PATIENT
READMISSIONS
MEDICATION
ERRORS
An increase of 1 RN per
1000 inpatient days
decreased mortality
by 4.3%.
19
Each one patient increase
in the hospital's average
pediatric staffing ratio
increased a surgical child's
odds of readmission by 48%
and a medical child's odds
of readmission by 11%.
21
+
+
+
–
+
–
–
–
The risk of death increased
2% for each below-target
shift (low staffing) and 4%
for each high-turnover shift
(patient churn).
18
LENGTH OF
STAY
Increases in RN staffing in
general hospital units have
resulted in a reduction of
5.7% in patient days.
14
A one-year increase in the
average tenure of RNs on a
hospital unit was associated
with a 1.3% decrease in
length of stay.
15
Nurse-to-patient ratios of
1 to 4.95 or lower reduced
heart failure readmissions
by 7%, acute myocardial
infarction readmissions by
6% and pneumonia
readmissions by 10%.
20
Medication errors are 3.71
times more likely when
nurses work more than
40 hours per week.
17
For every 20% decrease in
staffing below the staffing
minimum, medication errors
increase by 18%.
16
ACQUIRED
likely
voluntary
RNs
HOW STAFFING VARIABLES IMPACT
PATIENT OUTCOMES
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http://go.beckershospitalreview.com/staffing
PATIENT FALLS
An additional hour of RN
care per patient day
reduced the fall rate
by 2.8%.
8
Patient falls are 3.36 times
more likely when nurses
work voluntary overtime.
9
+ +
–
–
–
HOSPITAL ACQUIRED
PRESSURE ULCER
(HAPU)
–
HAPU are 3.50x more likely
when nurses work voluntary
overtime.
13
HAPU rates could be
reduced by 11.4% by
simultaneously increasing
the percentage of hours
supplied by RNs from 60%
to 70% and increasing the
average experience of RNs
by five years.
12
HOSPITAL ACQUIRED
INFECTIONS
–
–
Hospital-acquired infections
are 3.39 times more likely
when nurses work more
than 40 hours per week.
11
For each additional patient
a nurse is assigned, there
was approximately one
additional infection per
1,000 patients.
10
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