Abstract
This systematic literature review explores and considers whether registered nurse staffing levels affect patient mortality in acute secondary care settings. A discussion makes particular reference to the philosophical foundations of contrasting research approaches used within the literature. At the time of writing, the author was a modern matron for surgery, managing the ear, nose and throat; head and neck; airway; and reconstructive plastic surgery services in a large acute teaching hospital in central London. Effective management and leadership of acute clinical areas requires appropriate nurse:patient ratios. In practice settings, patient to staff ratios are based on care being provided by highly skilled and competent nurses providing best quality, evidence-based practice.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 698-704 |
Journal | British Journal of Nursing |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 12 |
Publication status | Published - 22 Jun 2017 |
Keywords
- Nurse: patient ratios
- Safe staffing
- Patient safety
- Surgery
- Mortality
- Burnout