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May 7, 2001 Rockville, Md. More RNs on staff lead to lower hospital costs The number and type of nurses on staff at a hospital has a significant effect on the quality of care patients receive, according to a Department of Health and Human Services study released April 20. Nurse Staffing and Patient Outcomes in Hospitals, funded by the HHS, is based on patient discharge data collected in 1997 from 799 hospitals in 11 states, according to an HHS press release. Facilities with more registered nurses on staff had a 3 percent to 12 percent reduction in the rates of unfavorable outcomes for patients, the study found. Higher staffing levels of all types of nurses, showed a decrease in unfavorable outcomes of between 2 percent and 25 percent, the researchers found. A reduced rate of unfavorable outcomes for patients subsequently lowered hospital costs, the data showed. The National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health was one of four HHS agencies to sponsor the study. ~Michelle Paolucci Los Angeles Ad campaign focuses on RN grads to ease shortage Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is launching a campaign to draw new nurses to the hospital. The campaign includes print ads that feature 30 employees who represent areas that have shortages, such as diagnostic imaging, respiratory therapy, research, laboratories and pharmacy. "We have some pay programs in place to make it a very attractive place for a new grad to get his or her start," said Janice Buehler, the center’s human resources manager, in a press release. The campaign supports the medical center’s efforts to increase diversity in ethnicity and gender, Buehler said. ~Heather Stringer Washington Paperwork piles up for hospital staff Nurses, physicians and other hospital staff spend an average of at least 30 minutes on paperwork for every hour of patient care for a typical Medicare patient, according to a new study. The study was conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers to assess the paperwork burden. The amount of paperwork needed to document regulatory compliance has significantly increased, said American Hospital Association president Dick Davidson. More than 100 regulations affecting health care have been created since 1997, according to an association press release. Several medical privacy provisions in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act also cost hospitals an estimated $22 billion over five years, according to the press release. ~Heather Stringer Sacramento, Calif. Hospitals struggle to stay afloat Lack of funding and increased costs are shaping into a crisis for California hospitals, according to the Contra Costa Times. According to data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, 65 California hospitals went out of business between 1981 and 1990, and that number more than doubled between 1991 and 2000. Nationally, five hospitals experienced decreased ratings for every one upgrade in 1999, according to Standard & Poor’s December 2000 report. In California, 18 hospitals in the last two years saw their credit decline and none improved. In 1998, only two California hospitals had declining credit ratings. Hospital administrators say that the lack of reimbursements, expensive upgrades for earthquake safety and increased pharmaceutical costs are some of the reasons for the financial woes. ~Heather Stringer Washington Slain RN case renews safety concerns The recent death of a nurse has prompted the American Nurses Association to call for mandatory standards to protect health care workers. In early April, a registered nurse was killed by a patient being checked into a psychiatric hospital. "No nurse should have to fear for her life while providing care to her patients," said ANA president Mary Foley. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration only has voluntary—not mandatory—standards for health care worker safety. To help nurses protect themselves, the ANA suggests that RNs report incidents of verbal or physical abuse, and demand that the facility’s union bargain for violence prevention provisions in the employee contracts. ~Heather Stringer
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