Why Nurse Patient Ratios Matter

Public Policy Annotated Bibliography

One potential public policy issue that may be of interest to me is the issue of mandatory staffing ratios for hospitals so as to ensure that adequate quality care is available to patients. Fox and Abrahamson (2009) note that “nursing care arguably falls into the realm of protecting the common good, and therefore requires government oversight” (p. 235). The sources in this bibliography relate to this issue and provide context for it.

ANA. (2019). Nurse staffing. Retrieved from

https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/advocacy/state/nurse-staffing/

ANA states that proper nurse-patient ratio should be based on variety of factors, including patient needs, admissions rate, experience of staff, unit layout, and resources available. The thesis is supported by empirical research on the issue. It is an article with great relevance to the topic, and it provides rich context showing the complexity of the issue.

Clarke, S. P., & Aiken, L. H. (2003). Registered nurse staffing and patient and nurse

outcomes in hospitals: a commentary. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 4(2), 104-111.

The authors show that hospital staffing is a public health issue by referencing existing literature and empirical data, but their thesis is that higher quality staffing is what policy should address—not simply ratios. The work is relevant to the topic and is helpful in sifting through the complexities of the issue in a logical manner.

Dousay, T., Childers, B., Cole, M., Hill, T., & Rogers, C. (2016). Lower Nurse-to-Patient

Ratio: Higher Patient Satisfaction. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1105&context=student_scholarship_posters

The authors conducted peer-reviewed research to support their thesis, which is that low nurse-patient ratios are better for patient health, meaning the more patients assigned to a single nurse the lower quality of care can be expected. This source is relevant to the topic as it supports the idea that policy intervention is required for the common good.

Fowler, D., & Comeaux, Y. (2017). The legislative role in nurse staffing ratios. MedSurg

Nursing, 26(2), 12-14.

The authors argue for policy intervention on the grounds that the evidence, referenced to support the authors’ thesis, that mandatory staffing ratios would solve the problem of low quality or inaccessible care for patients. The work is relevant to the policy issue as it directly justifies the grounds for policy intervention.

Fox, R. L., & Abrahamson, K. (2009, October). A critical examination of the US nursing

shortage: Contributing factors, public policy implications. In Nursing Forum (Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 235-244). Malden, USA: Blackwell Publishing Inc.

The authors argue that policy must lead to the placement of “financial value on the quality of care provided by nurses” in order for policy intervention to have any positive effect on the issue. The authors support their thesis by examining both pros and cons of policy intervention. The article is perfectly relevant to my research interest.

Laschinger, H. K. S., & Fida, R. (2015). Linking nurses’ perceptions of patient care

quality to job satisfaction: the role of authentic leadership and empowering professional practice environments. Journal of Nursing Administration, 45(5), 276-283.

The authors look at turnover rates and job satisfaction among nurses to show that when job satisfaction is improved, turnover rates go down and costs are saved. The article is relevant to the policy topic as it promotes the idea that when nurses are not overwhelmed by too many patients they have higher job satisfaction and thus are more likely to stay.

Martin, C. J. (2015). The effects of nurse staffing on quality of care. MedSurg

Nursing, 24(2), S4-S4.

The author’s thesis is the lower nurse-patient ratios improve quality of care, and the thesis is supported by existing empirical evidence and research, which the author cites throughout the work. The work is relevant to the policy issue topic, as it makes the case that policy intervention would help to ensure improved nurse-patient ratios.

Reiter, K. L., Harless, D. W., Pink, G. H., & Mark, B. A. (2012). Minimum Nurse

Staffing Legislation and the Financial Performance of California Hospitals. Health Services Research, 47(3pt1), 1030-1050.

The authors take the opposite argument by showing that mandatory staffing ratios will increase labor costs, which will increase care costs. The authors support their thesis with evidence from the state of California. The work is relevant to the policy issue as it adopts a practical perspective from the standpoint of cost and applies it to the issue.