4.1.1 Closing hospital wards during summer time because of the nurses shortage: Patients’ and nurses impact (260)
Alvisa Palese, Professor of Nursing Research, School of Nursing, University of Udine, Udine, Italy Co authors: Capitanio Manuela & Regattin Laura alvisa.palese@uniud.it
Abstract:
Background:
Nurses’ shortage is an emerging problem in the Italian National Health Service particularly during summer time when nurse’s mandatory holidays must be guaranteed. Currently, the Government has estimated a vacancy of 100.00 nurses positions. In order to cope with this situation, in recent years, Hospitals have adopted several and complex strategies aiming to a) close the wards; b) concentrate the patients with different disease; c) mix the staff with nurses from different wards. The impact of these strategies has not been documented yet in the literature on patient and nurse’s impact.
Aims:
To evaluate summer hospital-structure redesign impact on patients (infections, falls, pressure ulcer, complaints, intensity of pain, death) and on nurses (work satisfaction and nursing outcomes).
Materials & methods:
A retrospective study design was adopted. We have included all the patients admitted in the ‘new wards’ during summer time. For each patient included, we randomized two patients with the same admission’s DRG and recovered during wintertime in ‘normal wards’. In order to analyze patients’ impact, researchers have used a grid based on nursing outcomes. We have also included nurses interviewing them with Nursing Work Index and Maslach Burn Out Inventory Questionnaire at the end of the summer and during wintertime.
Results:
The study is going on. The data analysis includes:
- Complaints, complications, deaths occurred in the two patients’ cohorts
- Nurses level of satisfaction and burn out.
Conclusions & implications:
Although the limitations of the study design and the potential confounding factors, results could give important suggestions for the future of National Health Service.
Recommended reading list:
- Aiken LH, Clarke SP, Sloane DM, Sochalski J, Silber J. Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout and job dissatisfaction. JAMA 2002; 288 (16):1987-1993
- Aiken LH, Clarke SP, Cheung RB, Sloane DM, Silber JH. Educational levels of hospital nurses and surgical patient mortality. JAMA 2003; 290 (12): 1617-1623
- Estabrooks CA, Midodzi WK, Cummings GC, Ricker KL, Giovanetti P. The impact of nursing characteristics on 30-day mortality. Nurs Res 2005; 54 (2): 74-84
Source of Funding: N/A
Level of funding: N/A
Biography:
Alvisa palese is Associate Professor in Nursing science, University of Udine. She is a Register Nurse with Master degree in Nursing Science. her topics are: health service reserach and neuroscience nursing