. Nursing sensitive outcomes and staffing: a review on healthcare associated infection.
Introduction: Healthcare associated infections (HAI) continue to be an unresolved problem in hospital settings.
Aim: To assess the relationship between nurse staffing and healthcare associated infections in different settings.
Methods: From April to May 2015 a review of literature was conducted consulting PubMed, CINAHL and Cochrane Library.
Results: An increased amount of Registered Nurse Hours Per Patient Day (RNHPPD) and nurse-to-patient ratio was associated to a decreased occurrence of HAI. In particular an increase of RNHPPD was associated to a reduction of postoperative (OR 0.83, IC95% 0.0.70-0.99), and ventilator-associated pneumonia (OR 0.21, IC95% 0.08-0.53). Even the number of urinary tract infections (-34%) and sepsis (OR 0.54, IC95%: 0.31-0.92) decreased significantly. The most significant results associated to an increase of HPPD were obtained in intensive care units.
Conclusions: The review showed the correlations between nurse staffing and the most frequent HAIs. Nursing managers should be aware of the adequate nurse-to-patient ratios and skill-mix in order to inform decision making and improve the quality and safety of patients care.