Nurse-to-Patient ratios have affected care in nursing homes.

A recent study from the Health Services Research Educational Trust that looks into how the mandated nurse-to-patient ratios in California have affected care. The bottom line appears to be that increased staffing means better patient care in nursing homes. The study compares outcomes in California to other states without mandated staffing levels.  73% of the California nurses in the study say they have a reasonable workload compared to other states that come in at 59% and 61%.  58% of the study nurses say they have enough registered nurses on staff to provide quality care.  Other states that were in the study have low scores coming from the nurses.  An important part of this study is that 74% of California nurses say they get 30 minute breaks during the workday while other states reported 45% - 51%.  It seems to be important that nurses receive a break during their work day so they do not feel overwhelmed with the workload.  If a nurse has a large workload, this can cause them to miss changes in a patient’s condition.  Maybe all states’ nursing homes, including nursing homes in North Carolina, should refer to this study and mandate staffing levels as it can improve the quality of care from nurse to patient.