The ability of the nurses to monitor the patients is important in ensuring patient safety

The ability of the nurses to monitor the patients is important in ensuring patient safety. Thus, the nurse’s capability to offer safe care deteriorates as the number of patients assigned to him/her increases. Vaismoradi, Jordan, & Kangasniemi (2015 link patient safety to nursing staffing rations whereby risks of morbidity, mortality, and patient safety events increases as the number of patients per nurse surges. Nursing overload is also linked with patient safety. A study by Watkins, Whisman & Booker (2016) indicates that high patient turnover is linked with increased mortality risk even where there is adequate nurse staffing. The increased nurses’ burnout, stress, and workload lead to the causal relationship between patient outcomes and nurse-to-patient rations. The high numbers of patients per nurse lead to missed nursing care.

Additionally, the nurses are at risk of committing errors due to the high-intensity of their work. Long shifts, as well as overtime, is associated with an increased risk of committing errors. All these factors determine the patient outcome and lead to reduced patient safety as the nurses are utterly overworked. Ensuring that there is adequate nurse staffing entails various factors such as availability of skill mix and support staff, nursing based on patient turnover and patient acuity, as well as management, among other factors.

The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between patient safety and nurses’ occupational stress in a local healthcare facility.

 

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