Staffing Ratios

Staffing Ratios
This discussion will be based on two readings from this unit’s Studies section:

Associations Between Characteristics of the Nurse Work Environment and Five Nurse-Sensitive Patient Outcomes in Hospitals: A Systematic Review of Literature.
The American Nurses Association Web site section, Nurse Staffing.
In both readings, the issue of staff-to-patient ratio is explored. Staffing is a problem that encompasses patient safety, cost effectiveness, and work-life quality. In this discussion, comment on the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for initial postings found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).

Discuss the minimum nurse-to-patient ratio where you practice. How do you reconcile staffing levels and patient outcomes with financial constraints of most health care facilities?
How do staffing patterns impact patient care beyond the issues mentioned here?
If you live in a state with nurse staffing laws, in what ways do these laws benefit nurses and patients?
Response Guidelines
In your response, please address at least one of the following. Be sure to follow the requirements for response posts found in the Faculty Expectations Message (FEM).

If you do not practice in a state with nurse staffing laws, start a dialogue with a peer who does. Ask substantive questions about the laws’ effects on patient safety and quality of care.
If you practice in a state with nurse staffing laws, start a dialogue with a peer who does not. Ask substantive questions about any programs or initiatives that are currently in place to address patient safety and quality of care. Are they effective? What works? What does not?