Staffing Effectiveness Paper

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The staffing effectiveness report is used by hospitals to assess how nurse to patient ratios and nurse work hours are associated with patient outcomes. Further, the staffing effectiveness report allows hospital leadership to identify areas which need improvement and monitor areas that are operating within acceptable standards. The safety and quality of patient care are directly related to the number of staff as well as their competency and skill level (A.H.R.Q., Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2017). NCH uses the clinical indicators of fall prevalence, falls with injuries, and ventilator-associated pneumonia and the human capital indicators of nursing care hours and overtime, to measure the effectiveness of the staff.
The Oncology unit, 3E, demonstrated a reduction in the number of falls and pressure ulcers over the previous year. Falls were reduced from the previous year’s numbers of 5.57 falls/1000 patient days to 5.45 falls/1000 patient days in the current year. Furthermore, the Oncology unit had a decrease in the nosocomial ulcer rate of 2.76% in the previous year to 1.23% in the current year. There is not an identifiable trend demonstrated between the number of falls, nursing care, and overtime hours. The Oncology staff maintains a conscious …show more content…

Falls increased over the previous year’s number from 1.47 falls/1000 patient days to 4.37 falls/1000 patient days. The increase in falls and pressure ulcers appear to coincide with an increase in the overtime hours worked by the nursing staff. According to the staffing effectiveness report, the accreditation director and the nursing manager will develop a plan to improve patient outcomes resulting from falls. Consequently, fatigue from working long hours and overtime may contribute to the elevated number of patient falls and nosocomial pressure

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