By.philes isaboke
Emergency departments could treat thousands more patients and reduce dangerous waiting times simply by hiring more bedside nurses, according to a major new study published today.
Medical Care, analyzed 410 hospitals in the United States and modeled the impact of improving nurse staffing levels. The findings were striking.
Researchers projected that funding more positions for bedside nurses would be associated with over 5,000 additional patients being treated because emergency department stays would become shorter and beds would turn over faster. It would also result in over 250 fewer patients leaving the emergency room without being seen, a known risk factor
Hospitals can create more funded positions for bedside nurses to alleviate chronic understaffing conditions and solve long wait times in emergency departments. Our study emphasizes that safe nurse staffing matters to move the needle on safer, timelier care for the public.”
Emergency department crowding is a global crisis linked to staff shortages, burnout, an aging population, and limited inpatient beds. Crowding leads to treatment delays, increased medical errors, longer pain and suffering, and higher mortality.
For years, hospitals have tried to solve crowding with hallway beds and faster triage, but this study suggests the root solution is staffing. Nurses are responsible for assessments, medications, documentation, and patient flow. When they are stretched too thin, the entire department stalls.
Health policy experts say the findings should push policymakers and hospital administrators to invest in recruitment and retention of nurses rather than short-term fixes.
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