Geriatric News

A New Look at the Old: Nurse Staffing and Outcomes

American Journal of Nursing
November 2005

RN Staffing Time and Outcomes of Long-Stay Nursing Home Residents

Susan D. Horn PhD
Peter Buerhaus PhD, RN
Nancy Bergstrom PhD, RN
Randall J. Smout MS

Follow this link anytime to access this article: www.NursingCenter.com/AJNolderadults

Empirical evidence that links nurse staffing to patient outcomes continues to mount! In this recent study, Dr. Susan Horn and her colleagues find that increasing direct care time between the registered nurse (RN) and residents in long term care means improved outcomes. More specifically, more RN direct care time per resident per day (examined in 10-minute increments up to 30 to 40 minutes per resident per day) was associated with fewer pressure ulcers, hospitalizations, and UTIs; less weight loss, catheterization, and deterioration in the ability to perform ADLs; and greater use of oral standard medical nutritional supplements.

This and previous articles in the New Look at the Old print series (see below) can be accessed free of charge. Links to videos based on articles in the print series can also be found at: www.NursingCenter.com/AJNolderadults. Reprints of previous articles are available at no cost!

If you have any questions about the series, please feel free to contact me.

Katherine Kany
Consultant & AJN Project Manager
Care of Older Adults
www.NursingCenter.com/AJNolderadults
katherinekany@adelphia.net
703-729-6050 (office)
301-529-2936 (mobile)

Preceding articles in the series are also available at the web site and are listed below:

The Challenge to Come: The Care of Older Adults
Nancy A. Stotts EdD, RN, FAAN
Carole E. Deitrich MS, GNP, RN

Presentation of Illness in Older Adults
Elaine J. Amella PhD, APRN, BC

Improving nurse-physician communication
Marina Burke MSN, RN
Jeremy Boal MD
Ruth Mitchell MSN, RN

Cognitively Impaired Older Adults
Mary D. Naylor PhD, RN, FAAN
Caroline Stephens MSN, RN, APRN, BC
Kathryn H. Bowles PhD, RN
M. Brian Bixby MSN, CRNP, RN

Nutrition in Older Adults
Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili PhD, RN, CNSN
Elaine Amella PhD, APRN, BC

Nine Myths of Incontinence in Older Adults
Janet K. Pringle Specht PhD, RN, FAAN

Behaviors Associated with Dementia
Marianne Smith, MS, ARNP, CS
Kathleen Buckwalter, PhD, RN, FAAN