Part 3B: Best Practice from the Appraisal
Based on the critical appraisal above, it is evident that increased staffing levels for nurses play a critical role in improving patient care and promoting better patient outcomes. This is widely considered a best practice and is supported by the above evidence. Nurses are the backbone of any healthcare system and are essential in ensuring quality care delivery. Blegen et al. (1998) note that adequate nurse staffing levels reduce medical errors and improve patient safety. With a lower nurse-to-patient ratio, nurses can better monitor patient conditions, respond to emergencies, and provide timely interventions. This reduces the risk of adverse outcomes and prevents patient harm.
Nurse burnout is a common phenomenon in the healthcare industry, and it significantly impacts patient care. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged exposure to stressful work situations (Dall’Ora et al., 2020). It can lead to negative consequences for nurses and patients, including decreased quality of care, increased medical errors, and patient dissatisfaction. One of the main ways that nurse burnout affects patient care is through the quality of care provided. Burnt-out nurses may be less attentive to patient needs and may provide rushed or inadequate care. This can result in missed diagnoses, delayed treatments, and poor patient outcomes. Burnout also affects nurses’ ability to communicate effectively with patients and their families. They may become short-tempered, irritable, and unapproachable, decreasing patient satisfaction (Khatatbeh et al., 2021). This can be reduced by increasing nurse staffing levels and providing favorable shifts for nurses to balance the nurse-patient ratio to manageable levels effectively.
Although increasing nurse staffing levels may seem expensive, it can actually be cost-effective in the long run. Studies have shown that the costs associated with medical errors and poor patient outcomes far outweigh the costs of hiring additional nurses. For example, a report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2021) found that increasing nurse staffing levels by just one full-time equivalent nurse per 100 patients was associated with a 9% decrease in patient mortality rates and a cost savings of $62,000 per hospital stay. In addition to the cost savings associated with preventing medical errors and poor patient outcomes, increasing nurse staffing levels can lead to other cost savings. For instance, healthcare organizations can save money on recruitment, orientation, and training costs by reducing nurse burnout and turnover. Higher nurse staffing levels can also increase efficiency and productivity, reducing the need for overtime pay and other staffing-related expenses.
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