IngentaConnect Variations in nursing care quality across hospitals

Abstract:

lucero r.j., lake e.t. & aiken l.h. (2009) Variations in nursing care quality across hospitals. Journal of Advanced Nursing Abstract Title.

Variations in nursing care quality across hospitals. Aims.

The aim of the study was to describe Registered Nurses' reports of unmet nursing care needs and examine the variation of nursing care quality across hospitals. Background.

Large proportions of Registered Nurses have reported leaving necessary care activities undone because they lacked the time to complete the activities. Nursing care left undone can be expected to adversely affect the quality of care. However, little is known about the degree of variation in the quality of nursing care across hospitals. Methods.

In 2008, a secondary analysis of a 1999 survey of Registered Nurses (n = 10,184) was conducted using descriptive and comparative statistics. Data were derived from inpatient staff nurses working in acute care hospital settings (n = 168). A hospital-level measure (i.e. unmet nursing care needs) of the quality of nursing care was developed from care needs left undone among all nurses. Results.

Across hospitals there was a wide range in the proportion of Registered Nurses who reported leaving each nursing care need undone. They reported leaving two of seven necessary nursing care activities undone during their last shift. After controlling for nurses' demographic information, we found statistically significant variations in the quality of nursing care across hospitals. Conclusion.

Differences in nursing care quality across hospitals appear to be closely associated with variations in the quality of care environments. Understanding the determinants of unmet nursing care needs can support policy decisions on systems and human resources management to enhance nurses' awareness of their care practices and the care environment.

Keywords: hospitals; nursing care; quality; secondary analysis; variations

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.05090.x

Affiliations: 1: Robert J. Lucero PhD RN Postdoctoral Research Fellow Center for Evidence-Based Practice in the Underserved, Columbia University, New York, USA 2: Eileen T. Lake PhD RN FAAN Associate Professor Department of Sociology, Secondary Faculty, School of Nursingand Associate Director, Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania, USA 3: Linda H. Aiken PhD The Claire M. Fagin Leadership Professor of Nursing Professor of Sociology and Director, Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania, USA

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