Reducing Patient-To-Nurse Staffing Ratios

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In the healthcare industry, staffing ratios play a vital role in the care that is provided to patients and their families. When someone goes to the hospital, they want to make sure they are in good hands and well taken care of. Staffing ratios in the healthcare industry can be described as the ratio of support staff to the number of patients. Low staffing ratios mean that there is not enough support staff to properly take care of the number of patients. The impact of low staff ratios can lead to an increased risk of accidents, decreased quality of care, and staff burnout. We will discuss what leads to low staffing ratios and why it is important to have appropriate staffing when working in a healthcare facility. In my 7 years of working as a CNA, just about every facility that I have worked for was low-staffed within every area, …show more content…
According to the article Evidence that Reducing Patient-to-Nurse Staffing Ratios Can Save Lives and Money, “Findings revealed that nurse staffing varied considerably across hospitals, ranging from having 4.3 to 10.5 patients per nurse. Importantly, each additional patient per nurse increased the likelihood of death, length of hospital stays, and chances of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days” (Evidence That Reducing Patient-to-Nurse Staffing Ratios Can Save Lives and Money | National Institute of Nursing Research, n.d.). When there is only one patient care technician assigned to 17 patients, or 10 patients assigned to one nurse, there is a significant possibility that an accident can happen. When you have more patients, you have more tasks and responsibilities. “More than 100 studies conducted by academic researchers during the past 20 years have shown evidence supporting the connection between low hospital nurse-to-patient staffing levels and subpar patient outcomes, including avoidable deaths” (Levins,

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