Study links patient mortality to low nurse staffing, overreliance on temporary hospital staff

Editor's Note

A recent study conducted across 185 hospital wards in England highlights the significant impact of nurse staffing levels and staff composition on patient mortality.

Published August 19 in JAMA, the study analyzed data from over 626,000 hospital admissions between 2015 and 2020. It found that low staffing levels among both registered nurses (RNs) and nursing support (NS) staff were associated with an increased risk of patient death within 30 days of admission. Specifically, each day of low RN staffing was linked to a 7.9% increase in the risk of death, while low NS staffing was associated with a 7.2% increase.

The study also examined the use of temporary staff to cover staffing shortfalls, finding that while using temporary RNs helped reduce the risks associated with low staffing, it did not fully mitigate the increased risk of death. A 10% increase in the proportion of temporary RNs was associated with a 2.3% increase in mortality risk, and a similar increase in temporary NS staff resulted in a 4% increase in risk, with agency-employed NS staff showing the most significant negative impact.

Having more senior staff did not consistently reduce the adverse outcomes associated with low staffing, challenging the assumption that experience alone can compensate for shortfalls, researchers write. The findings suggest that while temporary staff may be necessary to address immediate staffing needs, relying on them as a long-term solution may not be cost-effective and could compromise patient safety.