How are high patient-to-nurse ratios affecting overall care?

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Hello! I am doing a school project on how high patient-to-nurse ratios affect overall care. I need responses from nurses and there will be 5 questions in this survey. They are all yes or no questions. If you would like to elaborate on the questions, feel free to do so. If you do not want to answer a question, you do not have to.

  1. Have you been negatively affected by high patient to nurse ratios?
  2. Do you believe importing nurses will help the situation?
  3. Do you believe adding more staff to nursing schools will help the situation?
  4. Have patients ever been negatively affected where you work because there were not enough nurses?
  5. Will this situation get worse overtime?

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Have you been negatively affected by high patient to nurse ratios?

Yes, but the high ratios were intentional. "Extra" nurses were sent home and patients were moved from unit to unit all to ensure that every nurse had the absolute maximum number of patients the hospital could get away with giving them. Profit was the highest consideration and nursing staff cost a lot of money.

Do you believe importing nurses will help the situation?

No.

Do you believe adding more staff to nursing schools will help the situation?

No.

Have patients ever been negatively affected where you work because there were not enough nurses?

Yes. People have actually died. "Failure to Rescue" is something you may want to read up on if you're not already familiar with it.

Will this situation get worse overtime?

It will probably get worse before it gets better. California is the only state that has staffing ratio laws, but hopefully they'll become more widespread in the future.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Yes, no, no, yes, maybe.

For the 2nd two questions, here's the thing: high ratios are usually not due to a shortage of nurses. They are due to facilities' staffing choices. In many areas (mine included) there are way more nursing school graduates than available jobs.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to nursing student assistance

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

Yes, no, no, yes, yes, for the same reasons as stated by previous posters.

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Do read up on failure to rescue, mandatory staffing, and unlicensed assistive personnel. All of these topics will lead you to references that will both do your homework for you and broaden your professional perspective on this question.

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Specializes in GENERAL.
Yes, no, no, yes, yes, for the same reasons as stated by previous posters.

The generalized answer is self evident to those who work short.

And conversely a disingenuous bewilderment to those whose primary concern is the bottom line.

Next time suggest to your teacher not to assign you these exercise in futility questions.

But in a nice way.

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