Article summary
Article Summary
Existing literature suggests that nurse staffing influences patient safety. Improved nurse staffing has been shown to promote optimal patient outcomes such as reduced medical errors, healthcare associated infections, and inpatient stays. A nurse-patient ratio of 4:1 or less has been shown to promote the most optimal patient outcomes. In addition to the impact on patient outcomes, nurse staffing levels also have potential impact on job satisfaction and retention of nurses (Hairr, Salisbury, Johannsson, & Redfern-Vance, 2014). This paper will summarize a study by Hairr, Salisbury, Johannsson, & Redfern-Vance (2014) that examined the link between nurse staffing, job satisfaction, and nurse retention. The article is entitled “Nurse staffing and the relationship to job satisfaction and retention.” The following aspects of the article will be included in the summary, background of the study, methods, results, and ethical considerations.
Background of the Study
The problem statement of the study is not clearly stated. The authors of the study quote findings from prior studies that had shown that inadequate staffing levels increase job dissatisfaction amongst nurses and the rate of staff turnover. They also note that retraining costs for new nurses are high for healthcare organizations with the cost of retraining of specialty nurses estimated to be $80 000. Their study focuses on the link between nurse staffing, job satisfaction, and retention of nurses in acute care environments. The authors do not state whether their study is motivated by a gap in knowledge in acute care settings as previous studies had already established that there is a link between nurse staffing, job satisfaction, and nurse retention.
The current study is of significance to nursing as improved nurse staffing positively influences patient outcomes and has been associated with reduced levels of patient morbidity and mortality. In addition, it has been associated with significant cost savings for organizations, a benefit that is paramount for administrators in the current economic environment. The purpose of the research was to study the link between nurse staffing levels, job satisfaction, and retention of nurses in acute care hospital settings. In this regard, the study sought to answer the questions whether there is a relationship between nurse staffing and job satisfaction, job satisfaction and nurse retention, job dissatisfaction is linked to nurse-patient ratios, and lastly, economic considerations were contributing to nurses maintaining their current nursing positions. The phenomenon under investigation in the current study is nurse staffing levels and its impact on job satisfaction and nurse retention.
The study employed a quantitative correlational research design. The sample for the study consisted of practicing licensed registered nurses with a minimum of 6 months nursing experience in acute care environments. The sample was recruited through a number of online sites that is nursing listserv’s, MySpace, Facebook, and Allaboutnurses.com. Consecutive sampling, a non-probability sampling technique whereby participants of a survey are recruited as they become available, was the sampling technique employed. Data was collected using an online survey. Respondents filled a tool by Aiken & Patricia (2000) called the Nursing Work Index-Revised. This tool is a revision of the Nursing Work Index questionnaire by Kramer & Hafner (1989).
Results of the Study
The study found a moderately strong but inverse relationship between nurses’ reported job satisfaction and nurse retention. Data analysis also revealed a weak positive link between job satisfaction and nurse staffing. Nurses surveyed reported experiencing job dissatisfaction over the preceding 6 months specifically linked to the number of patients assigned to them. Additional analysis suggested that nurses were staying with their current employers due to the prevailing economic environment.The findings of this study have significant implications for nursing staffing. These findings suggest that unless nurse staffing is improved, there is likely to be a mass exodus of dissatisfied nurses from acute care facilities once the economy improves. This looming nurse shortage will have serious implications on patient safety and outcomes. Previous evidence has similarly shown that enhancing nurse staffing is a feasible solution for patients, nurses and healthcare organizations. It can result in significant cost savings from decreased patient stays, medical errors, hospital-acquired infections, and decreased nurse hiring and retraining costs.
The findings of this study have helped elucidate the link between nurse staffing, job satisfaction, and nurse retention in acute care environments. In so doing, they add to the existing body of knowledge on the factors that influence the job satisfaction and retention of nurses. These findings have important ramifications for nursing practice, education, and administration. Regarding practice, the findings of this study decry the need for ensuring that health care facilities are adequately staffed. For administrators, they point to some of the strategies that they can employ to retain nurses and avoid costs related to high nurse turnover. For nurse education, the findings of the current study point to the need for enrollment of adequate numbers of nursing students to avoid shortages in the future. Because the current study had a number of limitations such as a small sample size, future research should endeavor to overcome the shortcomings of the current study.
Ethical Considerations
On ethical considerations, the research protocol for the study was sanctioned by an institutional review board, the A.T. University institutional review board. The participants of this study were not patients but licensed registered nurses. The authors do not mention in their article the methods they used to ensure that the privacy of the respondents was protected such as ensuring anonymity of participant responses. The authors also do not mention whether informed consent was obtained from the survey respondents prior to collection of data. An explanation was, however, provided to the respondents as to the nature of the study. The explanation was sent together with the invitation to participate in the survey.
Conclusion
This paper has summarized a study by Harrir et al. (2014) entitled “Nurse staffing and the relationship to job satisfaction and retention.” Like the title suggests, this study sought to explore the link between nurse staffing, job satisfaction, and retention of nurses in acute care environments. It was informed by findings of previous studies that suggested that nurse staffing impacts on patient outcomes, job satisfaction, and retention of nurses. The study employed a quantitative correlational research design. Respondents were recruited through online sites using consecutive non-probability sampling method. The study found a moderately strong but inverse relationship between nurses’ reported job satisfaction and nurse retention. Data analysis also revealed a weak positive link between job satisfaction and nurse staffing. The study was approved by a university institutional review board. The findings of the study have important significance for nursing practice, administration, education, and research. They also add to the existing body of nursing knowledge.
Reference
Hairr, D. C., Salisbury, H., Johansson, M., & Redfern-Vance, N. (2014). Nurse staffing and the relationship to job satisfaction and retention. Nurse Economics, 32(3), 142-147.
