By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    What Are the Benefits of CBD?
    November 27, 2021
    How to Measure Adult Diapers- The Ultimate Guide to Picking the Right Size
    March 8, 2022
    medicine cabinet
    The Effect Of Finished Dosage Form Manufacturing In New Drugs
    July 5, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    turo lawyer
    Why A Good Turo Lawyer Can Help Cover Medical Fees
    April 8, 2024
    Comprehensive Healthcare Treatment for Slip and Fall Injuries: A Guide to Recovery
    Comprehensive Healthcare Treatment for Slip and Fall Injuries: A Guide to Recovery
    December 26, 2023
    Medical Negligence
    The Impact of Medical Negligence: How Claims Can Help You Move Forward
    January 6, 2025
    Latest News
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Better nursing working environment means better outcomes for surgery patients
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > Better nursing working environment means better outcomes for surgery patients
Hospital Administration

Better nursing working environment means better outcomes for surgery patients

Michael J Jones
Michael J Jones
Share
4 Min Read
Better nursing working environment means better outcomes for surgery patients, by Angie Boss RN
SHARE

While it sounds logical, a recent study published Jan. 20 in JAMA Surgery reported that hospitals with the better nursing departments had fewer patients die after a surgical complication. What makes a good hospital nursing environment? The two criteria used by the study included a magnet designation and one nurse for every hospital bed. In summary, the study included about 25,000 geriatric general surgery Medicare patients in Illinois, Texas, and New York, who were treated at hospitals designated as having good nursing environments and another 62,000 similar patients treated at hospitals which did not have good nursing environments as defined by the criteria above. There was a one percent difference between the hospitals. In the “good nursing environment” hospitals, 4.8% of patients died within 30 days of arriving at the hospital, while 5.8% of patients died at the other hospitals. The least healthy patients were the least likely to die at the hospitals with good nursing environments, with nearly a 3% drop in the death rate.

Contents
Pick a hospital, any hospitalNo SurprisesWhat’s in it for me?

Pick a hospital, any hospital

In a recent Reuters article about the study, lead author Jeffrey Silber, MD, said, “This study is for the person, referring doctor, or health policy analyst asking, ‘Would I be better off at this hospital or that hospital?’” But what does this higher level of care actually cost? One of the more surprising facets of the study was that the hospitals with better nursing care weren’t costing patients more money. “A surprising finding was that better nurse staffing throughout the hospital does not have to be more costly,” stated Professor Linda Aiken, director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the Pennsylvania University’s school of Nursing. She added, “Indeed, we found that Magnet hospitals achieved lower mortality at the same or lower costs by admitting 40% fewer patients to intensive care units and shortening length of hospital stay.”

No Surprises

Ask any nurse who has worked an understaffed floor, and he or she will tell you that their patients aren’t receiving the best possible care. Other studies have backed up anecdotal reports and this new study as well.

  • Researchers looking at mortality rates in England indicated that a higher ratio of nurses per hospital bed has been linked to a lower risk of death following emergency general surgery.
  • US researchers found that having more nurses was one of the five key factors that help overcome the “weekend effect” in hospitals when patients are more likely to die or experience negative outcomes.
  • Hospitals with higher nurse staffing are less likely to be penalized for excessive readmission rates by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) than similar hospitals with lower nurse staffing ratios. In fact, each additional nurse hour per patient day is associated with 10 percent lower odds of receiving penalties under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

What’s in it for me?

For the nurses looking at where to spend their careers, they may find higher job satisfaction and better patient outcomes working at a hospital that is committed to supporting a strong nursing staff.

More Read

hospital marketing job
How to Protect Your Hospital Marketing Job and Career
What Do We Really Know About Patients?
Six Secrets to Ramp up Your Revenue Cycle
Social Media and Doctors: Q&A with Doximity CEO Jeff Tangney
How Marketing Can Help Hospitals Meet the Challenges of 2014
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

9 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Add Years to Your Life
9 Healthcare Lifestyle Tweaks That can Add Years to Your Life
lifestyle
July 11, 2025
car accident lawsuit
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
Policy & Law
July 6, 2025
women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025

You Might also Like

Readmissions and Consumer Engagement

October 24, 2012
population health
BusinessHospital AdministrationTechnology

Cerner and Missouri Forging a Real Partnership for Population Health

October 17, 2014
The Healing Balm Of Sleep: Administrations Must Address Hospital Sleep Loss
eHealthHospital AdministrationWellness

The Healing Balm Of Sleep: Administrations Must Address Hospital Sleep Loss

January 6, 2018

How A Doctor’s Perception of Patients Can Impact Patient Satisfaction

July 11, 2016
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?