NSG shortage:surgical death rates rose with each patient added to nurse's workload

renerian, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2002

You always post such interesting tidbits............I am interested in seeing if the staffing ratios in California have an effect on patient outcomes. I know it will but would like to see some statistical information in the future.

renerian

RN-PA, RN · Oct 23, 2002

I read this article in our local newspaper today, too, and am considering posting it in our break room. My feelings about California's nurse to patient ratios of 1:6 in Med-Surg is that it's too high. On our Med-Surg unit, the administration is justifying 1:6 ratios by citing California's recent legislation. :confused: With the acuity we're dealing with, 1:4, or at the most, 1:5 makes quite a difference in the quality of care we're able to give as well as the quality of life for nurses on the floor.

shannonRN, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2002

1:6 on a med-surg floor?? that is awful. hopefully, it is just a intermediate ratio until they can get the standardized ratios into effect. i don't know if they could have started off with a 1:4 ratio but i do hope that they can get there.

oramar · Oct 23, 2002

This is the first time I have read the study all the way through. I think I have been hearing about it for about two months. It is absolutely awsome. It says that in Pa alone 4 to 1 patient to nurse ratio would have reduced number of post op deaths by 1000.

Youda · Oct 23, 2002

When I read about this, the only thing that comes to my mind for the future is a scene like you'd see in an undeveloped 3rd-world culture: a huge room with patients laying all in rows, and one nurse walking among the beds knowing there is nothing more she can do but make sure each gets a little sip of water. . .

renerian, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2002

Wow sounds like a ward doesn't it? Used to have them when I practiced then they got rid of them thank goodness for that. I think a 1/4 would be a great ratio............sometimes when we had the floor it would 1/15 when the other nurse was doing off the floor chemo. We would pray nothing would happen.,

renerian

SharonH, RN · Oct 23, 2002

How do you like this? Here in Atlanta, the director of nursing services at Emory Hospital refuted the study saying that most hospitals employ "as many strategies as possible" to make up for the shortage of nurses. God forbid she should use this study to get more nursing staff for her hospital.

renerian, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2002

The DON said that.............sheesh........

renerian

SandyB · Oct 24, 2002

RN-PA the ratios start in July 2003 w/1:6 and then are to be changed to 1:5 at some point (don't know if it is 6mos or 1 year) and 1:6 may not be as good as we want but it is way better than what we get here in Calif now! I refuse to work med-surg with ratios 1:12 and I sure hope if I get sick before July2003 that all my friends who are nurses take turns watching out for me!

pickledpepperRN · Oct 24, 2002

From the DHS web site:

[ "CDHS's policy decisions were found to remediate the hospitals with the leanest staffing, effectively raising the bar for the standard of acceptable staffing. "

"The establishment of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios will set the baseline licensed staffing requirement for every unit type. The proposed minimum ratios will increase the number of licensed nurses on the 5-25% of hospital shifts with the leanest staffing statewide as soon as the regulations go into effect. Twelve months later, when the general medical/surgical units change to a minimum of 1:5, the proposed ratios will have the effect of increasing licensed nurse staffing for more than 50% of the leaner-staffed shifts in those units. The PCS will remain in place to indicate the needed increases beyond minimum licensed staffing as patient acuity increases."

PCS = Patient Classification System

pickledpepperRN · Oct 24, 2002

http://www.applications.dhs.ca.gov/regulations/store/Regulations/R-37-01%20ISOR%20SOD.doc

Sorry, this link does not work. I am not able to delete it.