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Nursing Research

Hospital Nurse Staffing and Quality of Care
Lower staffing levels are associated with adverse outcomes

Keeping Patients Safe:
Transforming the Work Environment for Nurses

A new Institute of Medicine report, sponsored by AHRQ, calls for substantial changes in nurses' work environment, including staffing levels and work hours, to protect patients from health care errors.

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Nurses at AHRQ
About Nurses at AHRQ
Senior Scholar in Nursing
Senior Nurse Scholar in Residence Selected

Research Funding
arrow Funded Grants Submitted by Nurses
arrow Impact of Working Conditions on Patient Safety
arrow Research Funding Opportunities at the Agency for Healthcare
   Research and Quality

Tools and Resources
arrow Evidence-based Resources for Nurses
arrow Future Directions in Primary Care Research: New Special Issues
   for Nurses
arrow Guidance for Managing a Research Grant
arrow Research Grant Implementation: Staff Development as a Tool to
   Accomplish Research Activities

Agency Press Releases

5/3/04 Studies Show Lower Nurse Staffing Levels Contribute To Poor Patient Outcomes

Research Findings

Research Activities, March 2004:
Higher RN staffing is associated with fewer deaths among elderly Medicare patients hospitalized for heart attack
Updated ICU information systems substantially free nurses from documentation, giving them more time for direct patient care
Nurses' contributions to patient-centred care and care equity are important components of health care quality

Research Activities, January 2004:
Residents of assisted living facilities with a full-time RN are less likely to leave the facility for a nursing home

Research Activities, December 2003:
Surgical patients fare better at hospitals with a higher proportion of registered nurses who have bachelor's degrees

Research Activities, November 2003:
Computerized ICU information systems can significantly reduce time spent by nurses on documentation

Research Activities, July 2003:
Having more RNs on staff can decrease the odds of pneumonia and associated costs among hospitalized surgery patients
Symposium highlights the important role of nurses in managing urinary incontinence

Research Activities, April 2003:
Adequate nurse staffing and managerial support foster better patient care and reduce nurse dissatisfaction and burnout

Research Activities, March 2003:
Hospitals that had a lower proportion of licensed nurses in the 1990s had higher rates of patient bed sores and pneumonia

Research Activities, January 2003:
Parents prefer an on-call pediatrician to a nurse advice service to discuss their child's medical problems

Research Activities, December 2002:
Practice-based Research Network for registered nurses provides a forum for studying nursing-related practice problems
AHRQ encourages nurses to become involved in health services research

Research Activities, November 2002:
Researchers examine nurse staffing and shortages

Research Activities, October 2002:
Nurses may need to update their skills in assessing the medical status of nursing home residents

Research Activities, August 2002:
Fewer registered nurses in hospitals linked to more cases of postoperative pneumonia

Research Activities, June 2002:
New analysis confirms a direct link between nurse staffing and patient complications and deaths in hospitals

Research Activities, May 2002:
Peer review organizations may need to reconsider the use of physician and nurse reviews of quality of care
Merging hospitals in the early 1990s focused mainly on reducing nursing hours and less on converting to new service areas

Research Activities, February 2002:
Specialized training helps ER nurses better manage children at risk for suicide
Researchers examine demand for use of consumer health information

Research Activities, January 2002:
Primary care staff and clinician-family relationships are critical elements in efforts to improve quality of care
New Web site helps hospital-based doctors and nurses diagnose anthrax, smallpox and other rare infections

Research Activities, November 2001:
Researchers examine the impact of health care workplace on quality of care and patient safety

Research Activities, October 2001:
New Senior Nurse Scholar now on board at AHRQ

Research Activities, August 2001:
Nurses around the world are among the least satisfied workers, and the problem is getting worse

Research Activities, June 2001:
Nurses have an important role in improving health care quality

Research Activities, December 2000:
New checklist enables nursing assistants to effectively monitor the health of nursing home residents

Research Activities, November 2000:
Nurse staffing hours is one of several factors that affect quality of care for nursing home residents

Research Activities, June 2000:
Experts recommend minimum nurse staffing standards for U.S. nursing homes

Research Activities, March 2000:
Researchers are studying the relationship between nurse staffing levels and nursing-sensitive patient outcomes


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