Nurse Staffing Ratio 1
Nurse Staffing Ratio
Ann Elizabeth Sanchez
College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, Grand Canyon
University NRS-415: Nursing Leadership and Interprofessional
Collaboration
Dr. Monica Kidder
April 8, 2025
, Nurse Staffing Ratio 2
The issue I selected to analyze is nurse staffing ratios. A nursing staffing ratio issue
refers to a situation where there are too few nurses available to care for the number of patients
assigned to them, resulting in a high patient-to-nurse ratio. Nurse-to-patient ratios are affected
by a variety of factors, including the complexity of acuity, patient flow (admissions, transfers,
discharges), the skill level and expertise of the nursing staff, the physical design of the nursing
unit, and the accessibility of technological support and other resources. (Phillips et al., 2021).
When the nursing staffing ratio isn’t followed, it can impact the quality of care by leading to
increased risks of medical errors, longer hospital stays, and higher mortality rates, particularly
when nurses are overworked and unable to provide adequate attention to each patient. High
nurse-to-patient ratios has been associated to increasing patient mortality, nurse burnout, and
decreased in quality of care. According to research by Aiken and colleagues (2014), every extra
patient assigned to a nurse was linked to a 7% higher chance of a patient dying within 30 days of
hospital admission, highlighting the potential negative impact of high nurse-to-patient ratios on
patient mortality rates.
To address the nurse staffing shortage, enforcing mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios could
be a viable solution, backed by extensive research indicating improved patient outcomes and
reduced nurse burnout. Studies like Aiken et al. (2014) demonstrate a direct correlation between
higher patient loads per nurse and increased mortality rates, highlighting the potential for
significantly lowering patient deaths by implementing a 1:4 nurse-to-patient ratio. While initially
requiring investment in hiring more nurses, the long-term financial benefits of improved patient
care could surpass the upfront costs.
A new study, supported by the NINR, highlighted a significant disparity in nurse-to-
patient ratios across New York hospitals, revealing that higher patient loads per nurse are
Nurse Staffing Ratio
Ann Elizabeth Sanchez
College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, Grand Canyon
University NRS-415: Nursing Leadership and Interprofessional
Collaboration
Dr. Monica Kidder
April 8, 2025
, Nurse Staffing Ratio 2
The issue I selected to analyze is nurse staffing ratios. A nursing staffing ratio issue
refers to a situation where there are too few nurses available to care for the number of patients
assigned to them, resulting in a high patient-to-nurse ratio. Nurse-to-patient ratios are affected
by a variety of factors, including the complexity of acuity, patient flow (admissions, transfers,
discharges), the skill level and expertise of the nursing staff, the physical design of the nursing
unit, and the accessibility of technological support and other resources. (Phillips et al., 2021).
When the nursing staffing ratio isn’t followed, it can impact the quality of care by leading to
increased risks of medical errors, longer hospital stays, and higher mortality rates, particularly
when nurses are overworked and unable to provide adequate attention to each patient. High
nurse-to-patient ratios has been associated to increasing patient mortality, nurse burnout, and
decreased in quality of care. According to research by Aiken and colleagues (2014), every extra
patient assigned to a nurse was linked to a 7% higher chance of a patient dying within 30 days of
hospital admission, highlighting the potential negative impact of high nurse-to-patient ratios on
patient mortality rates.
To address the nurse staffing shortage, enforcing mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios could
be a viable solution, backed by extensive research indicating improved patient outcomes and
reduced nurse burnout. Studies like Aiken et al. (2014) demonstrate a direct correlation between
higher patient loads per nurse and increased mortality rates, highlighting the potential for
significantly lowering patient deaths by implementing a 1:4 nurse-to-patient ratio. While initially
requiring investment in hiring more nurses, the long-term financial benefits of improved patient
care could surpass the upfront costs.
A new study, supported by the NINR, highlighted a significant disparity in nurse-to-
patient ratios across New York hospitals, revealing that higher patient loads per nurse are
