NU560 8C Research Methods and Evidence Based Practice
Evidence-Based Practice Problem/Topic
There are several things that help improve safety in the healthcare field. One of these
things is the nurse-to-patient rati
...
NU560 8C Research Methods and Evidence Based Practice
Evidence-Based Practice Problem/Topic
There are several things that help improve safety in the healthcare field. One of these
things is the nurse-to-patient ratio. This is the number of patients that one nurse takes care of.
This ratio can vary from the nurse specialty and what setting is being looked into in the
healthcare field. The ratios can vary greatly from 1:1 patient ratio to 1:20 ratios in some settings.
Significance
Nurse-to-patient ratios are very important factor to look at in the health care field. As
nurse-to-patient ratios increase the time a nurse has with a patient decrease. It has been shown
that improved outcomes, fewer complications, fewer adverse events, and fewer hospital readmissions come with appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios. They have also been shown to benefit
the staff. Having appropriate ratios can help with job dissatisfactions, burnout, and stress for the
nurses as it can reduce the amount of workload placed onto them.
Nurse-to-patient ratios typically shouldn’t go over 1:5, and in acute care the ratio should
be lower as it should be closer to 1:2 or 1:3. In a lot of hospitals however, the ratios can be closer
to 1:6 , 1:8, or even more during the night shift. This has led to unsafe and stressful conditions at
work for nurses and is one of the causes that many nurses leave the field within a few years of
working in it. With higher nurse-to-patient ratios it also leads to burn out of nurses. This problem
leads to more issues. Burnout is defined by disengagement and lead to detachment and dulled
emotions (University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, 2020). This in result can lead to
nurses becoming resentful toward patients, other nurses and even the people at home.
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