Study finds nursing shortages linked to higher risk of death and complications in patients

A team of researchers from the University of Southampton in the UK looked at how nursing shortages impact patient care. The results showed that nursing shortages increase the risk of problems and deaths among patients.

The researchers analysed data on patients and staff in surgical departments at four NHS sites in England between April 2015 and February 2020. The findings were published in the British Journal of Surgery.

A shortage of registered nurses and nursing assistants increases the risk of readmission by 2.3%. Staffing shortages were also associated with a 4.8% increase in blood clots, 5.7% in pneumonia, and 6.4% in pressure ulcers, which are especially common in patients undergoing surgery.

Additionally, the risk of patient mortality increased by 9.2% for each day of registered nurse shortage and by 10.3% for each day of nursing assistant shortage.

“Adequate staffing on wards is vital to ensure the safety of patients undergoing and recovering from surgery,” said Paul Meredith, lead author of the study and a senior research fellow at the University of Southampton.