Consensus Development Project (CDP): staffing for safe and effective nursing care – an overview: An overview of staffing for safe and effective nursing care
Consensus Development Project (CDP): staffing for safe and effective nursing care – an overview: An overview of staffing for safe and effective nursing care
We present an overview of the research evidence on nurse staffing levels in acute hospitals, and how it has been applied to policy and practice, focussing primarily on the UK. Drawing on research reviews and examples of specific studies, we outline the current state of knowledge.. Much of the evidence comes from cross-sectional studies. More recently longitudinal studies allow a causal link between staffing and outcomes to be inferred. Lack of specificity on staffing levels has hindered application of research findings to practice; research rarely specifies how many nurses are needed for safe and effective care. The most significant impediment to achieving safe staffing, has been an underestimation of the number of RNs needed, and overestimation of the potential for substitution, resulting in low baseline staffing and a national shortage of RNs. Repeatedly new staffing solutions are sought rather than tackle the problem of too few RNs head on.
hospital, nurse staffing, patient safety, policy, workforce
Ball, Jane E.
85ac7d7a-b21e-42fd-858b-78d263c559c1
Griffiths, Peter
ac7afec1-7d72-4b83-b016-3a43e245265b
18 July 2021
Ball, Jane E.
85ac7d7a-b21e-42fd-858b-78d263c559c1
Griffiths, Peter
ac7afec1-7d72-4b83-b016-3a43e245265b
Ball, Jane E. and Griffiths, Peter
(2021)
Consensus Development Project (CDP): staffing for safe and effective nursing care – an overview: An overview of staffing for safe and effective nursing care.
Nursing Open.
(doi:10.1002/nop2.989).
Abstract
We present an overview of the research evidence on nurse staffing levels in acute hospitals, and how it has been applied to policy and practice, focussing primarily on the UK. Drawing on research reviews and examples of specific studies, we outline the current state of knowledge.. Much of the evidence comes from cross-sectional studies. More recently longitudinal studies allow a causal link between staffing and outcomes to be inferred. Lack of specificity on staffing levels has hindered application of research findings to practice; research rarely specifies how many nurses are needed for safe and effective care. The most significant impediment to achieving safe staffing, has been an underestimation of the number of RNs needed, and overestimation of the potential for substitution, resulting in low baseline staffing and a national shortage of RNs. Repeatedly new staffing solutions are sought rather than tackle the problem of too few RNs head on.
Text
nop2.989
- Version of Record
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Author Final Copy - Safe Staffing - Ball-Griffths 8-June-2021
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Accepted/In Press date: 8 June 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 18 July 2021
Published date: 18 July 2021
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Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords:
hospital, nurse staffing, patient safety, policy, workforce
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Local EPrints ID: 449899
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/449899
PURE UUID: 27bf62fd-93d4-4b1f-aa05-094777e6fa05
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Date deposited: 24 Jun 2021 16:31
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 06:39
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Author:
Jane E. Ball
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