Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · May 2014
Multicenter StudyImpact of Critical Care Nursing on 30-Day Mortality of Mechanically Ventilated Older Adults.
The mortality rate for mechanically ventilated older adults in ICUs is high. A robust research literature shows a significant association between nurse staffing, nurses' education, and the quality of nurse work environments and mortality following common surgical procedures. A distinguishing feature of ICUs is greater investment in nursing care. The objective of this study is to determine the extent to which variation in ICU nursing characteristics-staffing, work environment, education, and experience-is associated with mortality, thus potentially illuminating strategies for improving patient outcomes. ⋯ Patients in hospitals with better critical care nurse work environments and higher proportions of critical care nurses with a bachelor's degree in nursing experienced significantly lower odds of death.