Legislating Nurse Staffing: Projected Impact on Hospital Economics, Process Flow, and Hospital-Associated Infections in Montana.

Journal

The Journal of nursing administration

ISSN: 1539-0721

Titre abrégé: J Nurs Adm

Pays: United States

ID NLM: 1263116

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
17 Jul 2024

Historique:

medline: 17 7 2024

pubmed: 17 7 2024

entrez: 17 7 2024

Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

The aim of this study was to project the impact of legislated nurse staffing ratios on patient-, staff-, and system-level outcomes for Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals in Montana. In 2023, House Bill 568 was introduced in Montana focused on legislating hospital safe nursing standards. A quantitative design was used for a convenience sample of Montana PPS hospitals. Data were gathered through a newly developed survey and from other publicly available sources for the years 2018 to 2022. Independent t tests were conducted when appropriate with the significance threshold set at 0.05. Projections indicate no significant change in patient outcome metrics accompanied by increases in labor requirements, slower emergency department throughput times, and decreases in hospital operating margins. In Montana, legislating nurse staffing ratios would have downstream implications inconsistent with the intended impact on patient safety, emphasizing the complexity of variables within and external to the healthcare system that drive patient-, staff-, and system-level outcomes.

Sections du résumé

OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to project the impact of legislated nurse staffing ratios on patient-, staff-, and system-level outcomes for Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals in Montana.

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND

In 2023, House Bill 568 was introduced in Montana focused on legislating hospital safe nursing standards.

METHODS METHODS

A quantitative design was used for a convenience sample of Montana PPS hospitals. Data were gathered through a newly developed survey and from other publicly available sources for the years 2018 to 2022. Independent t tests were conducted when appropriate with the significance threshold set at 0.05.

RESULTS RESULTS

Projections indicate no significant change in patient outcome metrics accompanied by increases in labor requirements, slower emergency department throughput times, and decreases in hospital operating margins.

CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS

In Montana, legislating nurse staffing ratios would have downstream implications inconsistent with the intended impact on patient safety, emphasizing the complexity of variables within and external to the healthcare system that drive patient-, staff-, and system-level outcomes.

Identifiants

DOI: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001449 PMID: 39016556

pubmed: 39016556

doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001449

pii: 00005110-990000000-00075

doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

Informations de copyright

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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