Relation between Nurses- Patients Ratio and Nursing Outcomes at Intensive Care Units

Elabasy, Hanaa Adel Ragab; Obied, Heba Kamal; Mahmoud, Seham Ali

doi:10.21608/tsnj.2024.367922

Relation between Nurses- Patients Ratio and Nursing Outcomes at Intensive Care Units

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ 1Master student of Nursing Administration, Faculty of Nursing, Tanta University, Egypt 2Nurse Specialist at Qutour Hospital

² Assistant Professor of Nursing Administration, Faculty of Nursing, Tanta University, Egypt

³ Lecturer of Nursing Administration, Faculty of Nursing, Tanta University, Egypt

10.21608/tsnj.2024.367922

Abstract

Background: Better nurses- patients staffing ratio helps to improve nurses’ attitudes toward
their job and prevent adverse nursing outcomes and promote nurses' health and well-being
which enhance them to deliver high quality patient care. Aim: Assess the relation between
nurses - patients ratio and nursing outcomes at Intensive Care Units. Design: A descriptive
correlation design was used. Setting: Intensive Care Units at Tanta University Main and
Emergency Hospitals. Subject: All nurses (N=476) who were working at both hospitals.
Tools: Data were collected by using two tools: Nurses- patients ratio and Nursing Outcomes
Structured Questionnaire. Results: The average daily nurse to patient ratio in three shifts
according to unit specialty was 2.10± 0.59, 87.4% of intensive care nurses had unsatisfactory
level of job satisfaction, 81.7% had a low level of burnout and 54.0% of had a low level of
overall intention to leave. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant negative
correlation between overall job satisfaction and the average daily Intensive Care nurses-
patients ratio in three shifts, While, there were statistically significant positive correlation
between overall IC nurses' burnout and intention to leave and the average daily nurses-
patients ratio in three shifts. Recommendations: Hospital administration need to create IC
policies and guidelines for safely nurses' ratio and staffing, Hospital /unit managers should
offer flexible scheduling options to accommodate the needs of nurses, such as part-time or
remote work arrangements