GESTIÓN EN SALUD PÚBLICA: AHRQ Patient Safety Network ► Nurses' shift length and overtime working in 12 European countries: the association with perceived quality of care and patient safety.

sábado, 4 de octubre de 2014

AHRQ Patient Safety Network ► Nurses' shift length and overtime working in 12 European countries: the association with perceived quality of care and patient safety.

European study finds that, unlike in the US, nursing shifts of 12 hours or more are uncommon. Longer shifts were associated with lower quality and safety, and more care left undone.Med Care. 2014 Sep 15; [Epub ahead of print].

Nurses' shift length and overtime working in 12 European countries: the association with perceived quality of care and patient safety.

Griffiths P, Dall'Ora C, Simon M, et al; RN4CAST Consortium. Med Care. 2014 Sep 15; [Epub ahead of print].

Although 12-hour nursing shifts are common in the United States, this study found that only 15% of European nurses worked 12 hours or more. Similar to prior research, longer nursing shifts were associated with lower quality of care and compromised patient safety. This study also found that nurses working extended shifts reported more care left undone. Nurses who worked overtime, even if shift length was less than 10 hours, described similar concerns. The authors warn that policies to adopt standard 12-hour nursing shifts as a cost-effective way of maintaining nurse–patient ratios may contribute to burnout. A past AHRQ WebM&M interviewwith Barbara Blakeney discussed the importance of proper nursing staffing for patient safety, and a prior AHRQ WebM&M commentary examines the complexities around balancing nurse staffing and workload.

PubMed citation