ArticleBMC health services research2022
Nurse staffing levels within acute care: results of a national day of care survey.
Article in BMC health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Using an audiovisual feedback device improves cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance during day and night - a randomized controlled simulation study.BMC emergency medicine · 2025Trial
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- Association of Time of Day with Delays in Antimicrobial Initiation among Ward Patients with Hospital-Onset Sepsis.Annals of the American Thoracic Society · 2023Article
- Facilitators Associated with Nursing Burnout in the Ambulatory Care Setting as COVID-19 Subsides: A Rapid Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Methods and Tools Used to Estimate the Shortages of Medical Staff in European Countries-Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- International recruitment of mental health nurses to the national health service: a challenge for the UK.BMC nursing · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe relationship between nurse staffing levels and patient safety is well recognised. Inadequate provision of nursing staff is associated with increased medical error, as well as higher morbidity and mortality. Defining what constitutes safe nurse staffing levels is complex. A range of guidance and planning tools are available to inform staffing decisions. The Society for Acute Medicine (SAM) recommend a 'nurse-to-bed'ratio of greater than 1:6. Whether this standard accurately reflects the pattern and intensity of work on the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) is unclear.
methodsNurse staffing levels in AMUs were explored using the Society for Acute Medicine Benchmarking Audit 2019 (SAMBA19). Data from 122 acute hospitals were analysed. Nurse-to-bed ratios were calculated and compared. Estimates of the total nursing time available within the acute care system were compared to estimates of the time required to perform nursing activities.
resultsThe total number of AMU beds across all 122 units was 4997. The mean daytime nurse-to-bed ratio was 1:4.3 and the mean night time nurse-to-bed ratio was 1:5.2. The SAM standard of a nurse to bed ratio of greater than 1:6 was achieved in 99 units (81.9%) during daytime hours and achieved by 74 units (60.6%) at night. The estimated time required to deliver direct clinical care was 35,698 h. A deficit of 4128 h (11.5% of time required) was estimated, representing the time difference between the total number of nursing hours available with current staffing and the estimated time needed for direct clinical care across all participating units.
conclusionThis UK-wide study suggests a significant proportion of AMUs do not meet the recommenced SAM staffing levels, particularly at night. A difference was observed between the total number of nursing hours within the acute care system and the estimated time required to perform direct nursing activities. This suggests a workforce shortage of nurses within acute care at the system level.
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