Hospital Performance on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and System Ratings: Associations With Nursing Factors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine which hospital nursing resources (staffing, skill mix, nurse education, and nurse work environment) are most predictive of hospital Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and System (HCAHPS) performance. BACKGROUND: HCAHPS surveying is designed to quantify patient experience, a measure of patient-centered care. Hospitals are financially incentivized through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to achieve high HCAHPS ratings, but little is known about what modifiable hospital factors are associated with higher HCAHPS ratings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Secondary analysis of multiple linked data sources in 2016 providing information on hospital HCAHPS ratings, hospital nursing resources, and other hospital attributes (eg, size, teaching, and technology status). Five hundred forty non-federal adult acute care hospitals in California, Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and 11,786 registered nurses working in those hospitals. Predictor variables included staffing (ie, patient-to-nurse ratio), skill mix (ie, the proportion of registered nurses to all nursing staff), nurse education (ie, percentage of nurses with a bachelor's degree or higher), and nurse work environment (ie, the quality of the environment in which nurses work). HCAHPS ratings were the outcome variable. RESULTS: More favorable staffing, higher proportions of bachelor-educated nurses, and better work environments were associated with higher HCAHPS ratings. The work environment had the largest association with higher HCAHPS ratings, followed by nurse education, and then staffing. Superior staffing and work environments were associated with higher odds of a hospital being a "higher HCAHPS performer" compared with peer hospitals. CONCLUSION: Improving nursing resources is a strategic organizational intervention likely to improve HCAHPS ratings.

Alternative Models of Nurse Staffing May Be Dangerous in High-Stakes Hospital Care.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals are resurrecting the outdated "team nursing" model of staffing that substitutes lower-wage staff for registered nurses (RNs). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether reducing the proportion of RNs to total nursing staff in hospitals is in the best interest of patients, hospitals, and payers. RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional, retrospective. SUBJECTS: In all, 6,559,704 Medicare patients in 2676 general acute-care US hospitals in 2019. MEASURES: Patient outcomes: in-hospital and 30-day mortality, 30-day readmission, length of stay, and patient satisfaction. Avoidable Medicare costs associated with readmissions and cost savings to hospitals associated with shorter stays are projected. RESULTS: A 10 percentage-point reduction in RNs was associated with 7% higher odds of in-hospital death, 1% higher odds of readmission, 2% increase in expected days, and lower patient satisfaction. We estimate a 10 percentage-point reduction in RNs would result in 10,947 avoidable deaths annually and 5207 avoidable readmissions, which translates into roughly $68.5 million in additional Medicare costs. Hospitals would forgo nearly $3 billion in cost savings annually because of patients requiring longer stays. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing the proportion of RNs in hospitals, even when total nursing personnel hours are kept the same, is likely to result in significant avoidable patient deaths, readmissions, longer lengths of stay, and decreased patient satisfaction, in addition to excess Medicare costs and forgone cost savings to hospitals. Estimates represent only a 10 percentage-point dilution in skill mix; however, the team nursing model includes much larger reductions of 40-50 percentage-points-the human and economic consequences of which could be substantial.

Validation of a short form of the practice environment scale of the nursing work index: The PES-5.

The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) has been utilized for two decades globally to measure nurse work environments. Its 31 items in five domains present a substantial respondent burden, threatening survey response rates. The purpose of this study was to derive and validate a short form: the PES-5. We conducted a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of survey data from nurses in 760 hospitals in six U.S. states in 2016 or 2019. One representative item per subscale was selected by highest item-to-subscale R2 from the original PES-NWI publication. Five psychometric properties of the PES-5 were evaluated. The reproduced structure of the full form was confirmed in the 2016 data by the highest R2 for the selected items. The unidimensional structure of the PES-5 was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. The correlation between the composite values of the 28-item and 5-item versions was 0.94. The Cronbach's alpha reliability of the PES-5 was >0.80. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC 1, k), which evaluates the stability of aggregated values when data are clustered, i.e., nurses are nested within hospitals, was >0.80 in both datasets, demonstrating satisfactory aggregate properties. Construct validity was supported by the selected items being ranked highly in their respective subscales by an expert panel. Criterion validity was supported by an analysis of variance of the PES-5 mean value across responses to a single-item work environment measure. Similar patterns of relationships with other key variables were identified by statistically significant odds ratios in regression models predicting patient mortality from the PES-5. The classification accuracy of the PES-5 was high, with 88% of hospitals classified identically by both versions. The PES-5 shows promise for measurement of nurses' work environments while maximizing response rate by reducing participant burden.

A repeated cross-sectional study of nurses immediately before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for action.

BACKGROUND: The shortage of nursing care in US hospitals has become a national concern. PURPOSE: The purpose of this manuscript was to determine whether hospital nursing care shortages are primarily due to the pandemic and thus likely to subside or due to hospital nurse understaffing and poor working conditions that predated it. METHODS: This study used a repeated cross-sectional design before and during the pandemic of 151,335 registered nurses in New York and Illinois, and a subset of 40,674 staff nurses employed in 357 hospitals. FINDINGS: No evidence was found that large numbers of nurses left health care or hospital practice in the first 18 months of the pandemic. Nurses working in hospitals with better nurse staffing and more favorable work environments prior to the pandemic reported significantly better outcomes during the pandemic. DISCUSSION: Policies that prevent chronic hospital nurse understaffing have the greatest potential to stabilize the hospital nurse workforce at levels supporting good care and clinician wellbeing.

Left Without Being Seen: Nurse Work Environment and Timely Outcomes in New York and Illinois Emergency Departments.

INTRODUCTION: This study determined the relationship between the emergency nurse work environment and emergency department patient left without being seen rates and lengths of stay. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of 215 New York and Illinois emergency departments. The work environment (abbreviated Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index) was measured by emergency nurses in the 2021 RN4CAST-NY/IL survey and linked with outcomes from Hospital Compare. Regression models estimated the relationship between the nurse work environment and emergency department patient left without being seen rates, median length of stay (in minutes), and median behavioral health patient length of stay. Model coefficients were used to estimate expected additional care minutes gained if emergency department work environments improved. RESULTS: "Mixed" work environments had the longest median overall length of stay (3.4 hours) and the highest median left without being seen rates (2.2%), while "poor" work environments had the longest median length of stay for behavioral health patients (6 hours). Improving the emergency department work environment from poor to mixed (and mixed to better) was associated with a 13-minute reduction in overall length of stay (P ≤ .05), a 33-minute reduction in behavioral health length of stay (P ≤ .01), and a 19% reduction in left without being seen rates (P ≤ .01). We estimated 11,824 to 41,071 additional patients could be seen in emergency departments associated with work environment improvements from "poor" to "better," depending on annual patient volumes. DISCUSSION: Hospital administrators should consider investing in nurse work environments as a foundation to improve timely outcomes.

Variations in nursing baccalaureate education and 30-day inpatient surgical mortality.

BACKGROUND: In 2010, the IOM recommended an increase in the proportion of bachelor's-prepared (BSN) nurses to 80% by 2020. This goal was largely based on evidence linking hospitals with higher proportions of BSN nurses to better patient outcomes. Though, evidence is lacking on whether outcomes differ by a hospital's composition of initial BSN and transitional RN-to-BSN nurses. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine whether risk-adjusted odds of surgical mortality are associated with a hospital's proportion of initial BSN and transitional RN-to-BSN nurses. METHODS: Logistic regression models were used to analyze cross-sectional data of general surgical patients, nurses, and hospitals in four large states in 2015 to 2016. FINDINGS: Higher hospital proportions of BSN nurses, regardless of educational pathway, are associated with lower odds of 30-day inpatient surgical mortality. DISCUSSION: Findings support promoting multiple BSN educational pathways to reach the IOM's recommendation of at least an 80% BSN workforce.

Is Hospital Nurse Staffing Legislation in the Public's Interest?: An Observational Study in New York State.

BACKGROUND: The Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act under consideration in the New York (NY) state assembly would require hospitals to staff enough nurses to safely care for patients. The impact of regulated minimum patient-to-nurse staffing ratios in acute care hospitals in NY is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To examine variation in patient-to-nurse staffing in NY hospitals and its association with adverse outcomes (ie, mortality and avoidable costs). RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional data on nurse staffing in 116 acute care general hospitals in NY are linked with Medicare claims data. SUBJECTS: A total of 417,861 Medicare medical and surgical patients. MEASURES: Patient-to-nurse staffing is the primary predictor variable. Outcomes include in-hospital mortality, length of stay, 30-day readmission, and estimated costs using Medicare-specific cost-to-charge ratios. RESULTS: Hospital staffing ranged from 4.3 to 10.5 patients per nurse (P/N), and averaged 6.3 P/N. After adjusting for potential confounders each additional patient per nurse, for surgical and medical patients, respectively, was associated with higher odds of in-hospital mortality [odds ratio (OR)=1.13, P=0.0262; OR=1.13, P=0.0019], longer lengths of stay (incidence rate ratio=1.09, P=0.0008; incidence rate ratio=1.05, P=0.0023), and higher odds of 30-day readmission (OR=1.08, P=0.0002; OR=1.06, P=0.0003). Were hospitals staffed at the 4:1 P/N ratio proposed in the legislation, we conservatively estimated 4370 lives saved and $720 million saved over the 2-year study period in shorter lengths of stay and avoided readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: Patient-to-nurse staffing varies substantially across NY hospitals and higher ratios adversely affect patients. Our estimates of potential lives and costs saved substantially underestimate potential benefits of improved hospital nurse staffing.

Evaluating the Costs and Outcomes of Hospital Nursing Resources: a Matched Cohort Study of Patients with Common Medical Conditions.

BACKGROUND: Nursing resources, such as staffing ratios and skill mix, vary across hospitals. Better nursing resources have been linked to better patient outcomes but are assumed to increase costs. The value of investments in nursing resources, in terms of clinical benefits relative to costs, is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there are differential clinical outcomes, costs, and value among medical patients at hospitals characterized by better or worse nursing resources. DESIGN: Matched cohort study of patients in 306 acute care hospitals. PATIENTS: A total of 74,045 matched pairs of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries admitted for common medical conditions (25,446 sepsis pairs; 16,332 congestive heart failure pairs; 12,811 pneumonia pairs; 10,598 stroke pairs; 8858 acute myocardial infarction pairs). Patients were also matched on hospital size, technology, and teaching status. MAIN MEASURES: Better (n = 76) and worse (n = 230) nursing resourced hospitals were defined by patient-to-nurse ratios, skill mix, proportions of bachelors-degree nurses, and nurse work environments. Outcomes included 30-day mortality, readmission, and resource utilization-based costs. KEY RESULTS: Patients in hospitals with better nursing resources had significantly lower 30-day mortality (16.1% vs 17.1%, p < 0.0001) and fewer readmissions (32.3% vs 33.6%, p < 0.0001) yet costs were not significantly different ($18,848 vs 18,671, p = 0.133). The greatest outcomes and cost advantage of better nursing resourced hospitals were in patients with sepsis who had lower mortality (25.3% vs 27.6%, p < 0.0001). Overall, patients with the highest risk of mortality on admission experienced the greatest reductions in mortality and readmission from better nursing at no difference in cost. CONCLUSIONS: Medicare beneficiaries with common medical conditions admitted to hospitals with better nursing resources experienced more favorable outcomes at almost no difference in cost.

Changes in proportion of bachelor's nurses associated with improvements in patient outcomes.

This study uses data from two cross-sections in time (2006, 2016) to determine whether changes over time in hospital employment of bachelor's of science in nursing (BSN) nurses is associated with changes in patient outcomes. Data sources include nurse survey data, American Hospital Association Annual Survey data, and patient administrative claims data from state agencies in California, Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The study sample included general surgical patients aged 18-99 years admitted to one of the 519 study hospitals. Multilevel logistic regression and truncated negative binomial models were used to estimate the cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of the proportion of hospital BSN nurses on patient outcomes (i.e., in-hospital mortality, 7- and 30-day readmissions, length of stay). Between 2006 and 2016, the average proportion of BSN nurses in hospitals increased from 41% to 56%. Patients in hospitals that increased their proportion of BSN nurses over time had significantly reduced odds of risk-adjusted mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92-0.98), 7-day readmission (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94-0.99) and 30-day readmission (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.95-1.00), and shorter lengths of stay (incident rate ratio [IRR]: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97-0.99). Longitudinal findings of an association between increased proportions of BSN nurses and improvements in patient outcomes corroborate previous cross-sectional research, suggesting that a better educated nurse workforce may add value to hospitals and patients.

Predictors of specialty certification among paediatric hospital nurses.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate differences in hospitals' proportion of specialty certified nurses and to determine whether and to what extent individual nurse characteristics and organisational hospital characteristics are associated with a nurse's likelihood of having specialty certification. BACKGROUND: Prior research has shown that patients in hospitals with high proportions of specialty certified nurses have better outcomes including lower mortality and fewer adverse events, yet less is known about what motivates nurses to obtain specialty certification. METHODS AND DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of paediatric nurses in 119 acute care hospitals. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the association between individual nurse characteristics, organisational hospital characteristics and an individual nurses' likelihood of holding a specialty certification. STROBE was followed. RESULTS: The proportion of certified nurses varies substantially among hospitals, with Magnet® hospitals being significantly more likely, on average, to have higher proportions of certified nurses. Nurses in children's hospitals were no more likely than paediatric nurses in general hospitals to be certified. A nurse's years of experience and bachelors-preparation were significantly associated with higher odds of having certification. The strongest predictors of certification were favourable nurse work environments and Magnet® -designation of the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: While individual attributes of the nurse were associated with a nurse's likelihood of having a specialty certification, the strongest predictors of certification were modifiable attributes of the hospital-a favourable nurse work environment and Magnet® -designation. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Hospital administrators seeking to increase the proportion of specialty certified nurses in their organisation should look to improvements in the organisation's nurse work environment as a possible mechanism.

The Association of Hospital Magnet® Status and Pay-for-Performance Penalties.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Pay-for-Performance (P4P) programs aim to improve hospital care through financial incentives for care quality and patient outcomes. Magnet® recognition-a potential pathway for improving nurse work environments-is associated with better patient outcomes and P4P program scores, but whether these indicators of higher quality are substantial enough to avoid penalties and thereby impact hospital reimbursements is unknown. This cross-sectional study used a national sample of 2,860 hospitals to examine the relationship between hospital Magnet® status and P4P penalties under P4P programs: Hospital Readmission Reduction Program, Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HAC) Reduction Program, Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. Magnet® hospitals were matched 1:1 with non-Magnet hospitals accounting for 13 organizational characteristics including hospital size and location. Post-match logistic regression models were used to compute a hospital's odds of penalties. In a national sample of hospitals, 77% of hospitals experienced P4P penalties. Magnet® hospitals were less likely to be penalized in the VBP program compared to their matched non-Magnet counterparts (40% vs. 48%). Magnet® status was associated with 30% lower odds of VBP penalties relative to non-Magnet hospitals. Lower P4P program penalties is one benefit associated with achieving Magnet® status or otherwise maintaining high-quality nurse work environments.

Quality of End of Life Care in Magnet® and Non-Magnet Hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether end-of-life care quality is superior in Magnet hospitals, a recognition designating nursing excellence. BACKGROUND: Considerable research shows better patient outcomes in hospitals with excellent nurse work environments, but end-of-life care quality has not been studied in Magnet hospitals. METHODS: An analysis of cross-sectional data was completed using surveys of nurses and hospitals. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the association between Magnet hospitals and measures of end-of-life care quality. RESULTS: Overall, nurses report poor quality of end-of-life care in US hospitals. In Magnet hospitals, nurses were significantly less likely to give their hospital an unfavorable rating on end-of-life care. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital Magnet status may signal better quality in end-of-life care. Administrators looking to improve the quality of end-of-life care may consider improving aspects of nursing that distinguish Magnet hospitals.

A Methodology For Studying Organizational Performance: A Multistate Survey of Front-line Providers.

BACKGROUND: Rigorous measurement of organizational performance requires large, unbiased samples to allow inferences to the population. Studies of organizations, including hospitals, often rely on voluntary surveys subject to nonresponse bias. For example, hospital administrators with concerns about performance are more likely to opt-out of surveys about organizational quality and safety, which is problematic for generating inferences. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe a novel approach to obtaining a representative sample of organizations using individuals nested within organizations, and demonstrate how resurveying nonrespondents can allay concerns about bias from low response rates at the individual-level. METHODS: We review and analyze common ways of surveying hospitals. We describe the approach and results of a double-sampling technique of surveying nurses as informants about hospital quality and performance. Finally, we provide recommendations for sampling and survey methods to increase response rates and evaluate whether and to what extent bias exists. RESULTS: The survey of nurses yielded data on over 95% of hospitals in the sampling frame. Although the nurse response rate was 26%, comparisons of nurses' responses in the main survey and those of resurveyed nonrespondents, which yielded nearly a 90% response rate, revealed no statistically significant differences at the nurse-level, suggesting no evidence of nonresponse bias. CONCLUSIONS: Surveying organizations via random sampling of front-line providers can avoid the self-selection issues caused by directly sampling organizations. Response rates are commonly misinterpreted as a measure of representativeness; however, findings from the double-sampling approach show how low response rates merely increase the potential for nonresponse bias but do not confirm it.

Magnet hospital recognition in hospital systems over time.

BACKGROUND: Magnet hospitals are recognized for nursing excellence and high-value patient outcomes, yet little is known about which and when hospitals pursue Magnet recognition. Concurrently, hospital systems are becoming a more prominent feature of the U.S. health care landscape. PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to examine Magnet adoption among hospital systems over time. APPROACH: Using American Hospital Association surveys (1998-2012), we characterized the proportion of Magnet hospitals belonging to systems. We used hospital level fixed-effects regressions to capture changes in a given system hospital's Magnet status over time in relation to a variety of conditions, including prior Magnet adoption by system affiliates and nonaffiliates in local and geographically distant markets and whether these relationships varied by degree of system centralization. RESULTS: The proportion of Magnet hospitals belonging to a system is increasing. Prior Magnet adoption by a hospital within the local market was associated with an increased likelihood of a given system hospital becoming Magnet, but the effect was larger if there was prior adoption by affiliates (7.4% higher likelihood) versus nonaffiliates (2.7% higher likelihood). Prior adoption by affiliates and nonaffiliates in geographically distant markets had a lesser effect. Hospitals belonging to centralized systems were more reactive to Magnet adoption of nonaffiliate hospitals as compared with those in decentralized systems. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital systems take an organizational perspective toward Magnet adoption, whereby more system affiliates achieve Magnet recognition over time. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The findings are relevant to health care and nursing administrators and policymakers interested in the diffusion of an empirically supported organizational innovation associated with quality outcomes, particularly in a time of increasing hospital consolidation and system expansion. We identify factors associated with Magnet adoption across system hospitals and demonstrate the importance of considering diffusion of organizational innovations in relation to system centralization. We suggest that decentralized system hospitals may be missing potential benefits of such organizational innovations.

Unmet Nursing Care Linked to Rehospitalizations Among Older Black AMI Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study of US Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that nurses may be unable to complete all aspects of necessary care due to a lack of time. Research is needed to determine whether unmet nursing care contributes to disparities in readmissions for vulnerable populations. OBJECTIVES: To examine differences in the relationship between nursing care left undone and acute myocardial infarction readmissions among older black patients compared with older white patients. RESEARCH DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of multiple datasets, including: 2006 to 2007 administrative discharge data, a survey of registered nurses, and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey. Risk-adjusted logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between care left undone and 30-day readmission. Interactions were used to examine the moderating effect of care left undone on readmission by race. RESULTS: The sample included 69,065 patients in 253 hospitals in California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Older black patients were 18% more likely to experience a readmission after adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics and more likely to be in hospitals where nursing care was often left undone. Black patients were more likely to be readmitted when nurses were unable to talk/comfort patients [odds ratio (OR), 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.19], complete documentation (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01-1.32), or administer medications in a timely manner (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.09-1.46). CONCLUSIONS: Unmet nursing care is associated with readmissions for older black patients following acute myocardial infarction. Investment in nursing resources to improve the delivery of nursing care may decrease disparities in readmission.

Nurse staffing and the work environment linked to readmissions among older adults following elective total hip and knee replacement.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of nurse staffing and the work environment on 10- and 30-day unplanned readmissions for US Medicare patients following elective total hip and knee replacement. DESIGN: A cross-sectional analysis of secondary data. SETTING: Acute care hospitals in California, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, during 2006. PARTICIPANTS: Medicare patients (n = 112 017) admitted to an acute care hospital for an elective total hip or knee replacement. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of experiencing an unplanned readmission within 10 and 30 days of discharge following an elective total hip or knee replacement. RESULTS: Our sample included 112 017 Medicare patients in 495 hospitals. Nearly 6% of the patients were readmitted within 30 days; more than half of whom were rehospitalized within 10 days. Adjusted for patient and hospital characteristics, patients had 8% higher odds of 30-day readmission and 12% higher odds of 10-day readmission, for each additional patient per nurse. Patients cared for in the best work environments had 12% lower odds of 30-day readmission. CONCLUSIONS: Readmission outcomes following major joint replacement are associated with hospital nursing care. Attention to nurse work conditions may be central to improving readmissions in this postoperative Medicare population.

Hospitals Known for Nursing Excellence Perform Better on Value Based Purchasing Measures.

It is well-established that hospitals recognized for good nursing care - Magnet hospitals - are associated with better patient outcomes. Less is known about how Magnet hospitals compare to non-Magnets on quality measures linked to Medicare reimbursement. The purpose of this study was to determine how Magnet hospitals perform compared to matched non-Magnet hospitals on Hospital Value Based Purchasing (VBP) measures. A cross-sectional analysis of three linked data sources was performed. The sample included 3,021 non-federal acute care hospitals participating in the VBP program (323 Magnets; 2,698 non-Magnets). Propensity score matching was used to match Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals with similar hospital characteristics. After matching, linear and logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between Magnet status and VBP performance. After matching and adjusting for hospital characteristics, Magnet recognition predicted higher scores on Total Performance (Regression Coefficient [RC] = 1.66, p < 0.05), Clinical Processes (RC = 3.85; p < 0.01), and Patient Experience (RC = 6.33; p < 0.001). The relationships between Magnet recognition and the Outcome and Efficiency domains were not statistically significant. Magnet hospitals known for nursing excellence perform better on Hospital VBP measures. As healthcare systems adapt to evolving incentives that reward value, attention to nurses at the front lines may be central to ensuring high-value care for patients.

Hospital employment of supplemental registered nurses and patients' satisfaction with care.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study is to determine whether use of supplemental registered nurses (SRNs) from agencies is associated with patients' satisfaction. BACKGROUND: Employment of SRNs is common, but little is known about whether their use is associated with patients' satisfaction with hospital care. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey data from nurses in 427 hospitals were linked to American Hospital Association data and patient data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. RESULTS: We found little evidence that patients' satisfaction with care is related to the use of SRNs. After other hospital and nursing characteristics were controlled, greater use of SRNs was not associated with patients' global satisfaction, including whether they would rank their hospital highly or recommend their hospital, nor was it associated with nurse communication, medication explanation, or pain control. CONCLUSIONS: Employment of SRNs does not detract from patients' overall satisfaction or satisfaction with nurses specifically.

Hospital nurse staffing variation and Covid-19 deaths: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: During the Covid-19 pandemic, Covid-19 mortality varied depending on the hospital where patients were admitted, but it is unknown what aspects of hospitals were important for mitigating preventable deaths. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether hospital differences in pre-pandemic and during pandemic nursing resources-average patient-to-registered nurse (RN) staffing ratios, proportion of bachelor-qualified RNs, nurse work environments, Magnet recognition-explain differences in risk-adjusted Covid-19 mortality; and to estimate how many deaths may have been prevented if nurses were better resourced prior to and during the pandemic. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 87,936 Medicare beneficiaries (65-99 years old) hospitalized with Covid-19 and discharged (or died) between April 1 and December 31, 2020, in 237 general acute care hospitals in New York and Illinois. Measures of hospital nursing resources (i.e. patient-to-RN staffing ratios, proportion of bachelor-qualified RNs, nurse work environments, Magnet recognition) in the pre-pandemic period (December 2019 to February 2020) and during (April to June 2021) were used to predict in-hospital and 30-day mortality using adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 78 years (8.6 SD); 51 % were male (n = 44,998). 23 % of patients admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 died during the hospitalization (n = 20,243); 31.5 % died within 30-days of admission (n = 27,719). Patients admitted with Covid-19 to hospitals with better nursing resources pre-pandemic and during the pandemic were statistically significantly less likely to die. For example, each additional patient in the average nurses' workload pre-pandemic was associated with 20 % higher odds of in-hospital mortality (OR 1.20, 95 % CI [1.12-1.28], p < 0.001) and 15 % higher odds of 30-day mortality (OR 1.15, 95 % CI [1.09-1.21], p < 0.001). Hospitals with greater proportions of BSN-qualified RNs, better quality nurse work environments, and Magnet recognition offered similar protective benefits to patients during the pandemic. If all hospitals in the study had superior nursing resources prior to or during the pandemic, models estimate many thousands of deaths among patients hospitalized with Covid-19 could have been avoided. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Covid-19 admitted to hospitals with adequate numbers of RNs caring for patients, a workforce rich in BSN-qualified RNs, and high-quality nurse work environments (both prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic) were more likely to survive the hospitalization. Bolstering these hospital nursing resources during ordinary times is necessary to ensure better patient outcomes and emergency-preparedness of hospitals for future public health emergencies.

A Review of Disparities in Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients with Limited English Proficiency: The Importance of Nursing Resources.

Language barriers significantly affect communication between patients and health care staff and are associated with receipt of lower-quality care. Registered nurses are well positioned members of the health care team to reduce and eliminate disparities for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). Current evidence recommends nurses use interpreters or translation devices to overcome language barriers; however, these recommendations fail to recognize that structural system-level factors, such as unsupportive work environments and poor nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, reduce nurses' ability to implement these recommendations. The Quality Health Outcomes Model (QHOM) is a useful framework for understanding relationships between hospital systems, the delivery of care interventions, and patient outcomes. The goal of this manuscript is to use the QHOM and existing empirical evidence to present a new perspective on the long-standing clinical challenge of reducing language-related health outcome disparities by considering the context in which nurses deliver patient care.