Impact of discontinuity in nursing care

Editor's Note

Discontinuity in nursing care in hospitals was high and negatively impacted patient clinical conditions in this study.

Discontinuity in care declined from nearly 100% in the first 24 hours, to 70% at 36 hours, and to 50% by the 10^th day after admission. Each instance of discontinuity lead to a 0.12-0.23 point decline in the Rothman Index score, with more pronounced effects for older and high-mortality risk patients.

Improved continuity of provider-patient assignments should be advocated to improve patient outcomes, the researchers note.

Background: Continuity of nursing care in hospitals remains poor and not prioritized, and we do not know whether discontinuous nursing care is negatively impacting patient outcomes. Objectives: This study aims to examine nursing care discontinuity and its effect on patient clinical condition ove...