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Hospital Nurse Staffing and Patient Mortality, Emotional Exhaustion, and Job Dissatisfaction

2005; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 19; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/00002800-200509000-00007

1538-9782

Margo A. Halm, Michelle Peterson, MARY KANDELS, Julie Sabo, MIRIAM BLALOCK, Rebecca L. Braden, ANNA GRYCZMAN, Kathryn Ann Krisko-Hagel, Dave Larson, Diane Lemay, BETTE SISLER, LINDA STROM, Debra Topham,

Health and Well-being Studies

Objective: To conduct an investigation similar to a landmark study1 that investigated the association between nurse-to-patient ratio and patient mortality, failure-to-rescue, emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction of nurses. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 2709 general, orthopedic, and vascular surgery patients, and 140 staff nurses (42% response rate) caring for these patients in a large Midwestern institution. The main outcome measures were mortality, failure-to-rescue, emotional exhaustion, and job dissatisfaction. Results and Conclusions: Staffing was not a significant predictor of mortality or failure-to-rescue, nor did clinical specialty predict emotional exhaustion or job dissatisfaction. Although these findings reinforce adequate staffing ratios at this institution, programs that support nurses in their daily practice and positively impact job satisfaction need to be explored. The Nursing Research Council not only has heightened awareness of how staffing ratios affect patient and nurse outcomes, but also a broader understanding of how the research process can be used to effectively shape nurse's practice and work environments.