A Correlational Study Examining Links Between Nurse Staffing Levels And Patient Outcomes

Abstract

Ensuring adequate nurse staffing is essential for delivering high quality, safe patient care. Higher nurse-patient ratios have been linked to improved outcomes in international literature, but limited evidence exists from Saudi hospital settings. This correlational study analyzed the relationship between nurse staffing levels and patient outcome indicators including falls, pressure injuries, satisfaction, and complications across 8 inpatient units at 3 hospitals in Saudi Arabia over a 6 month period. Staffing was measured by total nursing hours per patient day. Outcomes were gathered from incident reports and satisfaction surveys. Results demonstrated significant inverse correlations between staffing levels and rates of negative patient outcomes. Units with higher nurse-patient ratios showed lower rates of patient falls (r=-0.62, p<0.01), pressure injuries (r=-0.57, p<0.05), and complications (r=-0.51, p<0.05). Nurse staffing levels also had a significant positive correlation with patient satisfaction ratings (r=0.59, p<0.05). Findings provide important evidence to guide minimum safe staffing policies and nurse hiring initiatives aimed at improving care quality and outcomes.