EDWIN NYAMBANE CATHERINE OGULLA Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Nurse-patient ratio Nurses constitute the largest proportion of the health care workforce . Nurses have increasingly seen the need to specialize or advance their practice roles. This has been shown to improve efficiency in terms of patients’ care and promote high levels of staff satisfaction.

Nurse patient ratio Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, the only pediatric hospital in Eastern and central Africa, in line with this technological advancement has 10 bedded PCCU/ NCCU, in cooperating a HDU as well. This is for both escalation and de escalation of care of the critically ill children. The PCCU organizational structure is a mixture of both open and hybrid

Nurse patient ratio The level of nurse staffing has improved from nurse to patient ratio of 1:2, to 1:1, and sometimes 2:1(post surgical management of open heart surgery). Blegen et al (1998) confirmed that the higher the RN skill mix, the lower the incidence of adverse occurrences in inpatient care units. The decrease was up to 87.5%.

BENEFITS OF APPROPRIATE NURSE STAFFING TO THE FAMILY/ PATIENT Enhancement of patient’s satisfaction Reduced patient care costs Reduction in medication errors, patient mortality and length of stay Improved safety outcomes

BENEFITS OF APPROPRIATE STAFFING TO NURSING STAFF Prevention of nurse fatigue Reduction in number of staff taking sick-offs; from 72% to 42% Motivated staff, increase their morale thus productivity, depicted in good patient outcomes throughout the year.

CONCLUSIONS Critically ill patients demand increased nurse staffing resources and nurses who have specialized knowledge and skills. (Sasichay-Akkdechenunt, 2003) To promote quality care, nurse staffing plans should be specific to patient’s needs.

Where do we go from here Create systems that match patient needs to nurse staffing. Engage nurse expertise at all levels -Nurses have the expertise to inform and coordinate care on the front line and through policy Act on the evidence! -ensure that staffing models and practices are rooted in evidence based ,best practice guidelines

Where do we go from here? Nurse leaders and employers work together to develop dynamic staffing models -share decision making and create staffing process that respond to the acuity and complexity of patients Enforce health system accountability for safe quality patient care -link institutional funding to improvements in patient outcomes and nursing indicators e.g reduction in burnout and turnover

RECCOMENDATION Level of experience of nurses, layout of the unit and availability of resources such as ancillary staff and technology should also be considered.

REFFERENCES Blegen M.A, Reed J.C, (1998) Nurse staffing and patient outcomes. Nursing Research Vol. 47 pg 43-50 Hazinski M.F. (2013), Nursing care of the critically ill Child. 3rd Edition, St. Louis Missouri Kane R.L, ShamliyanT.A, Muller C, Timothy J. (2007) The Association of Registered Nurse staffing levels and Patient outcomes: Systemic Review and Meta Analysis. Medical care Vol. 45 Issue 12 Pg 1195-1204 Sasichay-Akkdechenunt, Thitinut S. C, Abbas J, (2003), The Relationship between Nurse Staffing and patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Administration. Vol. 33 Issue 9 Pg 478-485. Bylone Mary,(2011),Nurse staffing;fore front of health care, from; www.newswise.com, on 28/09/2017 at 1507hrs.

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