Impact of the patient-nurse ratio on health outcomes in public hospitals of the Andalusian Health Service. Ecological Study. / Impacto de la ratio paciente-enfermera en los resultados de salud en los hospitales públicos del Servicio Andaluz de Salud. Estudio ecológico.

AIM: To analyse the patient-nurse ratio and its association with health outcomes in public hospitals of the Andalusian Health Service (SAS). METHOD: Cross-sectional ecological study carried out in adult units of 26 Andalusian public hospitals. Data on structure (beds, type of unit, nursing control), management (average stay, index of use of stays, complexity index) and nursing staff were collected. They were extracted from official sources: CMBDA, SAS/Health Council (CS) publications and specific respondents to Nursing Directorates. The patient-nurse ratio was calculated and related to 19 indicators of hospital quality, safety, and mortality. Measures of central tendency and Spearman's correlation coefficient were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A response was obtained from 100% of the Andalusian hospitals. The average patient-nurse ratio in the three shifts was lower in hospitals with a broader portfolio of services-regional scope (11.6), followed by those with a medium portfolio-specialties (12.7) and hospitals with a basic portfolio- county (13.5). By type of unit, the medical units were 11.8 (SD=1.8) lower than the surgical ones 13.5 (SD=2.7). Significant differences were only found in medical units of regional hospitals 10.5 (SD=1.4) and district hospitals 13.03 (SD=1.46) (p=.001). In critical care, the ratio was greater than 2 patients per nurse in the three groups. When relating the ratio to health outcomes, 5 significant associations were found: pressure ulcers (p=.005), prevalence of nosocomial infections (p=.036), postoperative sepsis (p=.022), zero bacteraemia verification (p=.045) and mortality from heart failure (p=.004). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a high patient-nurse ratio in adult hospitalization units and that there is a positive association between the patient-nurse ratio and worse results related to nursing care.

Competential development of nurses in the public health system of Andalucía. / Desarrollo competencial de las enfermeras en el sistema sanitario público de Andalucía.

The socio-demographic and epidemiological changes of our environment are characterized by an increase in aging, chronic illness, comorbidities and with it, a progressive escalation of the demand for care. These new demands and expectations of citizenship are accompanied by an evolution of health systems (technological advances, complexity of the healthcare network, limited resources), the need to develop new roles and competence in care, together with the opportunity that full academic development implies: Nursing undergraduate and posgraduate degrees. This is why, at present, it is necessary to reorient care models in order to achieve health care for more agile, efficient and better quality care processes, adapted to the needs and expectations of citizens and to the sustainability of health systems. The Public Health System of Andalusia (SSPA) has developed, in recent decades, different nursing roles that include new competences, with the aim of responding to the needs of citizens. The objective of this article is to present how the competences development framework of nurses has been configured in the SSPA, which also integrates advanced skills in care and advanced practice profiles (Clinical Nurse Specialists and Advanced practice nurses).

Calidad, accesibilidad y sostenibilidad: Claves para la Enfermería de Práctica Avanzada en España / Quality, accesibility and sustainability: Keys for Advanced Nursing Practice in Spain

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