Journal of patient safety
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Journal of patient safety · Sep 2014
Multicenter StudyThe relationship between nurse staffing and failure to rescue: where does it matter most?
This study further expands on the relationship between nurse staffing levels and patient outcomes, in particular, failure to rescue. Many studies are based on single-site hospitals or single-year data, thus limiting the generalizations of the findings. The purpose was to evaluate in a multisite multiyear study the relationship between unit-level nurse staffing and FTR mortality, for ICU and non-ICU patients. ⋯ We did not observe any of the expected associations between the nurse staffing variables and FTR for either general care unit or ICU discharges. The comprehensive risk adjustments provided adequate "leveling of the playing field" to evaluate the impact of unit-based nurse staffing levels on FTR mortality. Future studies should evaluate the influence of unit environment and patient risk.