Alternative Approaches to Ensuring Adequate Nurse Staffing: The Effect of State Legislation on Hospital Nurse Staffing.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to addresses the basic question of whether alternative legislative approaches are effective in encouraging hospitals to increase nurse staffing. METHODS: Using 16 years of nationally representative hospital-level data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) annual survey, we employed a difference-in-difference design to compare changes in productive hours per patient day for registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPNs), and nursing assistive personnel (NAP) in the state that mandated staffing ratios, states that legislated staffing committees, and states that legislated public reporting, to changes in states that did not implement any nurse staffing legislation before and after the legislation was implemented. We constructed multivariate linear regression models to assess the effects with hospital and year fixed effects, controlling for hospital-level characteristics and state-level factors. RESULTS: Compared with states with no legislation, the state that legislated minimum staffing ratios had an 0.996 (P<0.01) increase in RN hours per patient day and 0.224 (P<0.01) increase in NAP hours after the legislation was implemented, but no statistically significant changes in RN or NAP hours were found in states that legislated a staffing committee or public reporting. The staffing committee approach had a negative effect on LPN hours (difference-in-difference=-0.076, P<0.01), while the public reporting approach had a positive effect on LPN hours (difference-in-difference=0.115, P<0.01). There was no statistically significant effect of staffing mandate on LPN hours. CONCLUSIONS: When we included California in the comparison, our model suggests that neither the staffing committee nor the public reporting approach alone are effective in increasing hospital RN staffing, although the public reporting approach appeared to have a positive effect on LPN staffing. When we excluded California form the model, public reporting also had a positive effect on RN staffing. Future research should examine patient outcomes associated with these policies, as well as potential cost savings for hospitals from reduced nurse turnover rates.

Determinants of healthcare worker turnover in intensive care units: A micro-macro multilevel analysis.

BACKGROUND: High turnover among healthcare workers is an increasingly common phenomenon in hospitals worldwide, especially in intensive care units (ICUs). In addition to the serious financial consequences, this is a major concern for patient care (disrupted continuity of care, decreased quality and safety of care, increased rates of medication errors, …). OBJECTIVE: The goal of this article was to understand how the ICU-level nurse turnover rate may be explained from multiple covariates at individual and ICU-level, using data from 526 French registered and auxiliary nurses (RANs). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in ICUs of Paris-area hospitals in 2013. First, we developed a small extension of a multi-level modeling method proposed in 2007 by Croon and van Veldhoven and validated its properties using a comprehensive simulation study. Second, we applied this approach to explain RAN turnover in French ICUs. RESULTS: Based on the simulation study, the approach we proposed allows to estimate the regression coefficients with a relative bias below 7% for group-level factors and below 12% for individual-level factors. In our data, the mean observed RAN turnover rate was 0.19 per year (SD = 0.09). Based on our results, social support from colleagues and supervisors as well as long durations of experience in the profession were negatively associated with turnover. Conversely, number of children and impossibility to skip a break due to workload were significantly associated with higher rates of turnover. At ICU-level, number of beds, presence of intermediate care beds (continuous care unit) in the ICU and staff-to-patient ratio emerged as significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this research may help decision makers within hospitals by highlighting major determinants of turnover among RANs. In addition, the new approach proposed here could prove useful to researchers faced with similar micro-macro data.

Nurse Aide Retention in Nursing Homes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The association of nurse aide retention with three quality indicators is examined. Retention is defined as the proportion of staff continuously employed in the same facility for a defined period of time. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data used in this investigation came from survey responses from 3,550 nursing facilities, Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reporting data, and the Area Resource File. Staffing characteristics, quality indicators, facility, and market information from these data sources were all measured in 2016. Nurse aide retention was measured at 1, 2, and 3 years of employment. The quality indicators examined were a count of all deficiency citations, quality of care deficiency citations, and J, K, L deficiency citations. Negative binomial regression analyses were used to study the associations between the three different retention measures and these three quality indicators. RESULTS: The 1-, 2-, and 3-year nurse aide retention measures were 53.2%, 41.4%, and 36.1%, respectively. The regression analyses show low levels of retention to be generally associated with poor performance on the three deficiency citation quality indicators examined. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The research presented starts to provide information on nurse aide retention as an important workforce challenge and its potential impact on quality. Retention may be an additional staffing characteristic of nursing facilities with substantial policy and practice relevance.

Women Caring for Our Aging in Place Seniors Will Lose Out because of U.S. Immigration Policies.

Most older people experiencing chronic health problems, physical disabilities, and memory losses are still able to age in place in their own homes. However, they often need help from others to enjoy healthy, active, and independent lives. They turn mostly to family members, mainly women and usually their daughters, daughters-in-law or wives. But caring for frail elders has become more demanding and complex, and these family members often feel physically and emotionally overwhelmed and burnt out. They concede that they cannot do it alone. Others find it more difficult to hold full-or even part-time jobs. Hiring home (direct) care workers to assist their loved ones can be an effective solution to ease their caregiving responsibilities. However, these personal care aides, home health aides, and nursing assistants are already in short supply. Moreover, going forward the aging of the baby boomer population will result in an even greater demand for their services even as these jobs are often unattractive to American-born workers and turnover is high. This country's immigration policies will make it even more difficult for women caring for older persons to hire these workers. Over 25 percent of home care workers are low-skilled immigrants or foreign-born. However, the Trump administration's policies reduce the number of immigrants entering the U.S. and specifically choke off the various pathways that enable low-skilled persons to be hirable in the home care sector. Female caregivers seeking relief from their caregiving responsibilities will lose out unless we remove these immigration barriers.

Exploring Variation in Certified Nursing Assistant Assignments From the Perspective of Nursing Home Residents: A Comparison of Adopters and Nonadopters of Consistent Assignment.

Objective: To describe and compare certified nursing assistant (CNA) staffing between adopter and nonadopters of consistent assignment. Data sources: One month of preexisting CNA assignment and scheduling sheets from a purposive sample of 30 homes. Study design: A descriptive comparative study was conducted to calculate and compare numbers of CNAs assigned per resident across homes. Data extraction: Resident names and CNA assignments were abstracted from assignment records and entered into the Advancing Excellence consistent assignment tool to calculate numbers of CNAs assigned per resident. Principal findings: Both variation and overlap existed in the number of CNAs per resident within and between homes. Adopters assigned significantly fewer CNAs per resident. Conclusion: Research is needed to determine how assignment variations affect resident perceptions of quality.

Nurse staffing, nursing assistants and hospital mortality: retrospective longitudinal cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between daily levels of registered nurse (RN) and nursing assistant staffing and hospital mortality. DESIGN: This is a retrospective longitudinal observational study using routinely collected data. We used multilevel/hierarchical mixed-effects regression models to explore the association between patient outcomes and daily variation in RN and nursing assistant staffing, measured as hours per patient per day relative to ward mean. Analyses were controlled for ward and patient risk. PARTICIPANTS: 138 133 adult patients spending >1 days on general wards between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2015. OUTCOMES: In-hospital deaths. RESULTS: Hospital mortality was 4.1%. The hazard of death was increased by 3% for every day a patient experienced RN staffing below ward mean (adjusted HR (aHR) 1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05). Relative to ward mean, each additional hour of RN care available over the first 5 days of a patient's stay was associated with 3% reduction in the hazard of death (aHR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.0). Days where admissions per RN exceeded 125% of the ward mean were associated with an increased hazard of death (aHR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01 1.09). Although low nursing assistant staffing was associated with increases in mortality, high nursing assistant staffing was also associated with increased mortality. CONCLUSION: Lower RN staffing and higher levels of admissions per RN are associated with increased risk of death during an admission to hospital. These findings highlight the possible consequences of reduced nurse staffing and do not give support to policies that encourage the use of nursing assistants to compensate for shortages of RNs.

Classification of patients and nursing staff's sizing: contributions of a management technology. / Classificação de pacientes e dimensionamento de profissionais de enfermagem: contribuições de uma tecnologia de gestão.

OBJECTIVE: Applying PRAXIS® technology resources for patient classification and nursing professional sizing in university hospital inpatient unit. METHOD: Convergent Care Research following the design and instrumentation phases - defined the research theme and purpose, performed in a medical clinic hospital unit involving 633 participants; scrutiny - classification of patients during 30 days of June 2016, followed by sizing, analysis and interpretation of the results - elaborated with the support of the management theorization in hospital nursing. RESULTS: Amongst the total of 633 classifications made, 29.38% were patients in minimal care, 35.71% were intermediate care patients, 33.02% were highly dependent, 1.42% were semi-intensive and 0.47% were in intensive care. Two references were used to carry out the sizing; in both the available team showed to be in deficit. CONCLUSION: The classification of patients and the sizing of nursing professionals are directly related, they are indispensable for management in nursing and difficult to perform daily. Computerized technologies are useful for performing these activities.

Classificação de pacientes e dimensionamento de profissionais de enfermagem: contribuições de uma tecnologia de gestão / Clasificación de pacientes y dimensionamiento de profesionales de enfermería: contribuciones para una tecnología de gestión / Classification of patients and nursing staff's sizing: contributions of a management technology

Resumo OBJETIVO Aplicar recursos da tecnologia PRAXIS® para classificação de pacientes e dimensionamento de profissionais de enfermagem em unidade de internação de hospital universitário. METODO Pesquisa Convergente Assistencial seguindo as fases de concepção e instrumentação - definidos tema e objetivo da pesquisa, realização em uma unidade hospitalar de clínica médica envolvendo 633 participantes; perscrutação - classificação dos pacientes durante 30 dias de junho de 2016, seguido de dimensionamento; análise e interpretação dos resultados-elaborada com suporte da teorização de gestão em enfermagem hospitalar. RESULTADOS Realizadas 633 classificações e encontrados 29,38% pacientes em cuidados mínimos, 35,71% cuidados intermediários, 33,02% alta dependência, 1,42% semi-intensivos e 0,47% cuidados intensivos. Para realização do dimensionamento utilizou-se duas referências; em ambas a equipe disponibilizada mostrou-se deficitária. CONCLUSÃO Classificação de pacientes e dimensionamento de profissionais de enfermagem estão diretamente relacionados, são indispensáveis para gestão em enfermagem e de difícil realização cotidiana. Tecnologias informatizadas são úteis para realização destas atividades.

Resumen OBJETIVO aplicar recursos de la tecnología PRAXIS® para la clasificación y dimensionamiento de profesionales de enfermería en una unidad de internación de un hospital universitario. MÉTODO investigación convergente asistencial, siguiendo las etapas de concepción e instrumentación - definidos el tema y objetivo de la investigación, realización en una unidad hospitalaria de clínica médica involucrando a 633 participantes; escrutación - clasificación de los pacientes durante 30 días de junio de 2016, seguida de dimensionamiento. Análisis e interpretación de los resultados elaborados con soporte de la teorización de gestión en enfermería hospitalaria. RESULTADOS se realizaron 633 puntuaciones y se encontraron 29,38% pacientes en cuidados básicos, 35,71% en cuidados intermedios, 33,02% en alta dependencia, 1,42% en semi-intensivos, y 0,47% en cuidados intensivos. Para realizar el dimensionamiento, se utilizaron dos referencias. En ambos el equipo disponible se mostró deficiente. CONCLUSIÓN la clasificación de pacientes y el dimensionamiento de los profesionales de enfermería están directamente vinculados, son indispensables para la gestión en enfermería y de difícil realización cotidiana. Las tecnologías informatizadas son útiles para realizar estas actividades.

Abstract OBJECTIVE Applying PRAXIS® technology resources for patient classification and nursing professional sizing in university hospital inpatient unit. METHOD Convergent Care Research following the design and instrumentation phases - defined the research theme and purpose, performed in a medical clinic hospital unit involving 633 participants; scrutiny - classification of patients during 30 days of June 2016, followed by sizing, analysis and interpretation of the results - elaborated with the support of the management theorization in hospital nursing. RESULTS Amongst the total of 633 classifications made, 29.38% were patients in minimal care, 35.71% were intermediate care patients, 33.02% were highly dependent, 1.42% were semi-intensive and 0.47% were in intensive care. Two references were used to carry out the sizing; in both the available team showed to be in deficit. CONCLUSION The classification of patients and the sizing of nursing professionals are directly related, they are indispensable for management in nursing and difficult to perform daily. Computerized technologies are useful for performing these activities.

Factors that influence the provision of intrapartum and postnatal care by skilled birth attendants in low- and middle-income countries: a qualitative evidence synthesis.

BACKGROUND: In many low- and middle-income countries women are encouraged to give birth in clinics and hospitals so that they can receive care from skilled birth attendants. A skilled birth attendant (SBA) is a health worker such as a midwife, doctor, or nurse who is trained to manage normal pregnancy and childbirth. (S)he is also trained to identify, manage, and refer any health problems that arise for mother and baby. The skills, attitudes and behaviour of SBAs, and the extent to which they work in an enabling working environment, impact on the quality of care provided. If any of these factors are missing, mothers and babies are likely to receive suboptimal care. OBJECTIVES: To explore the views, experiences, and behaviours of skilled birth attendants and those who support them; to identify factors that influence the delivery of intrapartum and postnatal care in low- and middle-income countries; and to explore the extent to which these factors were reflected in intervention studies. SEARCH METHODS: Our search strategies specified key and free text terms related to the perinatal period, and the health provider, and included methodological filters for qualitative evidence syntheses and for low- and middle-income countries. We searched MEDLINE, OvidSP (searched 21 November 2016), Embase, OvidSP (searched 28 November 2016), PsycINFO, OvidSP (searched 30 November 2016), POPLINE, K4Health (searched 30 November 2016), CINAHL, EBSCOhost (searched 30 November 2016), ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (searched 15 August 2013), Web of Science (searched 1 December 2016), World Health Organization Reproductive Health Library (searched 16 August 2013), and World Health Organization Global Health Library for WHO databases (searched 1 December 2016). SELECTION CRITERIA: We included qualitative studies that focused on the views, experiences, and behaviours of SBAs and those who work with them as part of the team. We included studies from all levels of health care in low- and middle-income countries. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: One review author extracted data and assessed study quality, and another review author checked the data. We synthesised data using the best fit framework synthesis approach and assessed confidence in the evidence using the GRADE-CERQual (Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research) approach. We used a matrix approach to explore whether the factors identified by health workers in our synthesis as important for providing maternity care were reflected in the interventions evaluated in the studies in a related intervention review. MAIN RESULTS: We included 31 studies that explored the views and experiences of different types of SBAs, including doctors, midwives, nurses, auxiliary nurses and their managers. The included studies took place in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.Our synthesis pointed to a number of factors affecting SBAs' provision of quality care. The following factors were based on evidence assessed as of moderate to high confidence. Skilled birth attendants reported that they were not always given sufficient training during their education or after they had begun clinical work. Also, inadequate staffing of facilities could increase the workloads of skilled birth attendants, make it difficult to provide supervision and result in mothers being offered poorer care. In addition, SBAs did not always believe that their salaries and benefits reflected their tasks and responsibilities and the personal risks they undertook. Together with poor living and working conditions, these issues were seen to increase stress and to negatively affect family life. Some SBAs also felt that managers lacked capacity and skills, and felt unsupported when their workplace concerns were not addressed.Possible causes of staff shortages in facilities included problems with hiring and assigning health workers to facilities where they were needed; lack of funding; poor management and bureaucratic systems; and low salaries. Skilled birth attendants and their managers suggested factors that could help recruit, keep, and motivate health workers, and improve the quality of care; these included good-quality housing, allowances for extra work, paid vacations, continuing education, appropriate assessments of their work, and rewards.Skilled birth attendants' ability to provide quality care was also limited by a lack of equipment, supplies, and drugs; blood and the infrastructure to manage blood transfusions; electricity and water supplies; and adequate space and amenities on maternity wards. These factors were seen to reduce SBAs' morale, increase their workload and infection risk, and make them less efficient in their work. A lack of transport sometimes made it difficult for SBAs to refer women on to higher levels of care. In addition, women's negative perceptions of the health system could make them reluctant to accept referral.We identified some other factors that also may have affected the quality of care, which were based on findings assessed as of low or very low confidence. Poor teamwork and lack of trust and collaboration between health workers appeared to negatively influence care. In contrast, good collaboration and teamwork appeared to increase skilled birth attendants' motivation, their decision-making abilities, and the quality of care. Skilled birth attendants' workloads and staff shortages influenced their interactions with mothers. In addition, poor communication undermined trust between skilled birth attendants and mothers. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Many factors influence the care that SBAs are able to provide to mothers during childbirth. These include access to training and supervision; staff numbers and workloads; salaries and living conditions; and access to well-equipped, well-organised healthcare facilities with water, electricity, and transport. Other factors that may play a role include the existence of teamwork and of trust, collaboration, and communication between health workers and with mothers. Skilled birth attendants reported many problems tied to all of these factors.

Home-based care: barriers and facilitators to expanded personal support worker roles in Ontario, Canada.

To accommodate the increasing demand for home care in Ontario, Canada, some care tasks traditionally performed by regulated health professionals are being transferred to personal support workers (PSW). However, this expansion of PSW roles is not uniform across the province. Between December 2014 and April 2015, barriers and facilitators to expansion of PSW roles in home care were explored in a series of 13 focus groups. Home care staff identified seven categories of factors affecting the expansion of PSW roles in home care including: communication and documentation; organization and structures of care; attitudes and perceptions of the expanding PSW role; adequate staffing; education, training and support; PSW role clarity and variation in practices, policies, and procedures. Addressing barriers and promoting facilitators at the funder and employer levels will enable the provision of safe, effective, and equitable care by PSWs.

Caregiver Shortage Reaches Critical Stage.

Stronger economy and shifting demographics put providers in bind in search for workers.

Diluting hospital nursing skill mix 'not in the public interest'.

Implementing policies to dilute hospital nursing skill mix should be treated with caution because it can have life-threatening consequences for patients, say researchers.

Effect of nurse staffing variation and hospital resource utilization.

In this study, we examined the effect of variations in nurse staffing levels on the length of stay and medical expenses of patients who underwent hip or knee surgeries. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the National Health Insurance database and hospital surveys from 2010. Patient length of stay and medical expenses by nurse staffing level and skill mix were compared after adjusting for hospital and patient characteristics. Nurse staffing was measured based on staffing grade, the bed-to-registered nurse/nurse aid ratio, the bed-to-nursing personnel ratio, and the RN proportion. Generalized estimation models were used to analyze the associations. Decreased nurse staffing was consistently associated with increased length of stay, regardless of nurse staffing measures. The medical expenses associated with the lowest staffing level were approximately $US 1142.2 more than those associated with the highest staffing level. The study results suggest that maintaining a high nurse staffing level could be a cost-effective strategy for government and insurers, as well as for patients. We propose that policy makers implement more efficient nurse staffing strategies.

Readers' panel - Should staff extend their roles to meet rising demand?

Our experts consider a hot topic of the day.