Research Critique and PICOT Statement

Research Critique and Picot Statement Nurse Staffing and Patient Outcomes HYUNJEONG KIM Grand Canyon University NRS-433V Date   PICOT statement Among Patients in hospitals and critical care (P), does increasing the number of nurses per patient (I) improve patient outcome (O), compared to maintaining the patient-nurse ratio, during hospitalization (T). Qualitative West, E., Barron, D. N., Harrison, D., Rafferty, A. M., Rowan, K., & Sanderson, C. (2014). Nurse staffing, medical staffing and mortality in intensive care: an observational study. International journal of nursing studies, 51(5), 781-794. Problem Statement Nursing shortage is one of the challenges facing the profession, and past research has shown that nurse staffing ratios affect the patient outcomes and the quality of care and patient safety. Since evidence supports that some complications and the rate of mortality can be prevented, it is important to address nurse-patient staffing ratios. In the study, the researchers sought to investigate the relationship between nursing staffing and mortality rates in clinical settings. Hospitals have to address the nursing staffing problems and meet patient needs, and this is more difficult in the Intensive Care Unit, where the patients are under constant monitoring Since past research has highlighted that adequate nursing levels reduce the workload, it is likely that addressing nursing shortages will improve health outcomes. Intensive care units cater to the critical care needs of patients, and changes in the morality rate and hospitalization stay indicate patient outcome. Even as the researchers observed the subjects, they sought to identify the relationship between nurse support staff and patient outcomes. There is a need to identify factors that are restrictive and supportive to improving the quality of care in intensive care units. Purpose and Research Questions In the study, the researchers aimed to establish the impact of nurse staffing on patient mortality in intensive care units. Subsequently, the study’s design evaluated differences of survival rates in critical care settings when considering nurse-patient staff ratios and workload. The research questions in the study were addressed as the hypotheses, which were then tested Does increasing the number of nurses in the ICU improve patient outcome and reduce the cases of patient mortality? Does having more number of consultants and support staff in the ICU reduce the mortality rates? Does increasing nurse workload affect patient outcome and survival rates? How does nurse and medical staffing influence the quality of care? The research questions were related to the stated study aim and objectives, and the methods were appropriate, since medical staff working in the ICU were surveyed. Even as surveillance is one of the key factors, which affects patient outcome in the ICU, the role of nurse staffing in influencing patient outcome should also be considered in these clinical settings. Literature Review The study reviewed past research with emphasis on workload, using both quantitative and qualitative studies. The researchers highlighted that one of the main challenges in identifying the link between staffing and patient outcomes is that few studies have controlled for th...