Holley, Jennings, and Wolters (2011) mention that staffing levels depending on the patient’s condition. Taking this into account, the Minnesota Nurses Association provided limitations for the nurses. In this way, the ratio is to be 1:1 in operating rooms and trauma units, etc., and 1:6 in uncomplicated postpartum (Registered nurse staffing for patient safety, 2009). Such a six-level division is said to allow the nurses to manage their duties successfully and enhance the results of the treatment, but the effect of its implementation seems to be different.
For now, patients are highly concerned about unsafe staffing, as they believe it to worsen health outcomes. So nurse to patient staffing ratio is said to be crucial for health facilities to provide the patients with high-quality services and bring positive outcomes (Minimum standards for patient safety, 2013). To prove this and that the division accepted in Minnesota works, the hospitals were ordered to prepare the report, which would allow studying this correlation (Minnesota session laws, 2013). As it turned out, the evidence failed to prove that patient outcomes depend on the staffing levels, and they were mostly influenced by the staff mix. So the efficiency of the legislated nurse to staff ratio remains only an assumption. The report also showed that the procedure of assessment was not well-designed, which prevented the measurement of staffing and outcomes even though it was discussed (Hospitals and nurses share the same goal, 2015). Moreover, the President of the Minnesota Hospital Association questioned the necessity of these ratios and claimed them to be not effective in his memo (Leaked memo, 2010). Still, the employees believe that staffing levels are one of the factors that influence outcomes.
Thus, it can be said that the nurse to patient ratio only looks advantageous for the patients. In real life, its positive effect on health outcomes was not proved. However, having even insignificant influence, tends to affect them in a way.
References
Holley, W., Jennings, K., & Wolters, R. (2011). The labor relations process. South Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.
Hospitals and nurses share the same goal. (2015). Web.
Leaked memo: Hospital execs plan to ignore public promise; will work instead to undermine patient safety efforts. (2010). Web.
Minimum standards for patient safety. (2013). Web.
Minnesota session laws. (2013). Web.
Registered nurse staffing for patient safety. (2009). Web.