. Nurses take an oath to provide the best care possible for all patients and to do no harm. The first question that is raised is how does a nurse manage a 1:5 or 1:6+ ratio while maintaining the ethical standards of a nurse?
In the first opened question of the survey, nurses were asked, to explain their feelings from a previous closed question that asked if they felt overwhelmed with current patient-nurse ratios. To recall and summarize the data, out of the respondents, 3 quarters of respondents stated that they felt different degrees of overwhelmed and went into detail. One respondent said, “generally I only experience this when I have a confused/ combative patient who requires extra time or when I have a patient who is unstable,” another …show more content…
The majority said that they weren’t particularly unhappy with current ratios and it does not affect their quality of care, however there can be instances where quality of care can be compromised depending on what kind of patients are on the unit and if there was an increase in patient-nurse ratios. One respondent said that their unit/area has critical patients (monitored drips, combative/confused patients, cardiac patients) and the current ratio of 1:4 how nurses can safely monitor those patients. Another respondent says, “Appropriate nurse-patient ratios for this type of floor (med-surg) to me is 1:4 or 1:5 patients. If we receive more than five patients, which is very rare, our patient satisfaction scores decrease.” One could conclude that the respondents feel that there is a direct correlation to increased patient-nurse ratios and decrease in quality of care. A respondent says when there is an increased nurse-patient ratio on their unit/area, “It feels like passing meds and getting labs are the only things you do all day long and the nurse-patient relationship completely goes out the door.” If the respondents feel that quality of care has a direct correlation to nurse-patient ratios, is there a way for them to reach the proper audiences and share their …show more content…
Nurses will be challenged to become more knowledgeable about what is best for their profession and their patients, and to consider more action (Tevington, 2011, p. 267). This survey can be used as a step in the direction to start a conversation of how healthcare can become more patient and nurse oriented, further improve quality of care, and increase patient
In the first opened question of the survey, nurses were asked, to explain their feelings from a previous closed question that asked if they felt overwhelmed with current patient-nurse ratios. To recall and summarize the data, out of the respondents, 3 quarters of respondents stated that they felt different degrees of overwhelmed and went into detail. One respondent said, “generally I only experience this when I have a confused/ combative patient who requires extra time or when I have a patient who is unstable,” another …show more content…
The majority said that they weren’t particularly unhappy with current ratios and it does not affect their quality of care, however there can be instances where quality of care can be compromised depending on what kind of patients are on the unit and if there was an increase in patient-nurse ratios. One respondent said that their unit/area has critical patients (monitored drips, combative/confused patients, cardiac patients) and the current ratio of 1:4 how nurses can safely monitor those patients. Another respondent says, “Appropriate nurse-patient ratios for this type of floor (med-surg) to me is 1:4 or 1:5 patients. If we receive more than five patients, which is very rare, our patient satisfaction scores decrease.” One could conclude that the respondents feel that there is a direct correlation to increased patient-nurse ratios and decrease in quality of care. A respondent says when there is an increased nurse-patient ratio on their unit/area, “It feels like passing meds and getting labs are the only things you do all day long and the nurse-patient relationship completely goes out the door.” If the respondents feel that quality of care has a direct correlation to nurse-patient ratios, is there a way for them to reach the proper audiences and share their …show more content…
Nurses will be challenged to become more knowledgeable about what is best for their profession and their patients, and to consider more action (Tevington, 2011, p. 267). This survey can be used as a step in the direction to start a conversation of how healthcare can become more patient and nurse oriented, further improve quality of care, and increase patient