Relationship between patient falls and levels of nursing education, certification

Editor's Note

Higher levels of nursing education and more certified nurses improved the number of patient falls in this study.

Using data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators from 2010 to 2016 from medical centers in Central and Southern Illinois, researchers found that with every 1-unit increase in the percentage of BSN nurses or certified nurses, there was a reduction in patient falls per 1000 patient days of 0.02 to 0.04 and 0.01 and 0.03, respectively. All else held constant.

The researchers concluded that improvements in patient outcomes may be optimized with higher percentages of nurses with bachelor degrees and/or certifications.