5 Findings on Nurses and Quality

In honor of National Nurses Week May 6 to 12, here are five findings on nurses' role in quality from the past eight months, as well as information on current programs supporting nurses and data on the nursing workforce.

This National Nurses Week infographic includes data from the Health Resources and Services Administration.1. Lower nurse turnover at rural hospitals is associated with improved quality outcomes for heart failure patients, according to a study in Medical Care.


2. Many neonatal intensive care units are understaffed by nurses, which is associated with higher infection rates among infants with very low birth weights, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics.

3. Increasing the percentage of nurses with a baccalaureate degree can save lives, according to a study in Health Affairs.

4. A study by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing showed Medicare patients treated at hospitals with a positive work environment for nurses had a 10 percent lower risk of readmission than patients treated in hospitals with a poor work environment.

5. A supportive nursing practice environment — one with teamwork and involvement in hospital- and unit-level decision-making — is associated with fewer medication errors, according to a study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and published in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship.

Several federal and private organizations have programs to support nurses to improve quality and access to healthcare. For example, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation lead the initiative Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, which aims to implement the Institute of Medicine's evidence-based recommendations on the future of nursing. In addition, HHS recently announced it will distribute $3 million by September to help veterans with medical experience or training pursue a degree in nursing.

Above is an infographic displaying data on nursing supply and education from the Health Resources and Services Administration 2013 report, "The U.S. Nursing Workforce: Trends in Supply and Education."

More Articles on Nurses:

CEO Stephen Ralph: Building Nursing Excellence at Huntington Memorial Hospital
Community Health Network, Ball State University Create Nursing Academy

HHS to Award $3M to Help Veterans Pursue Nursing Degree

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars