Apr 17, 2014 in News Blogs

Blogs: A nurse's workload can affect whether patients live or die

[caption id="attachment_5305" align="alignleft" width="267"] (Photo credit: Kurhan/SXC)[/caption] The work doctors and nurses do in hospital can have immeasurable benefits to a patient but it can also have a detrimental impact on a person's life. Patients may think that the care doctors provide is the most important, but nurses also have a large impact on your healthcare. The workload nurses carry can affect a patient's safety, according to a European study published in the Lancet. The study analyzed more than 420,000 patients across 300 European hospitals to determine the effect of nursing cuts in hospitals, which were a result of austerity measures. Patients had a higher chance of dying from common surgical procedures if the registered nurses were given more patients to look after then their regular workload. Whenever another patient is added to a nurse's average workload, patients who have undergone surgery are seven per cent more likely to die within 30 days after the procedure. Also, the quality of education a nurse has makes a difference. For every 10 per cent in nurses with bachelor degrees, then the likelihood of death decreases by seven per cent. The Ontario Nurses Association voiced its concerns to the media since Ontario is experiencing nurse staffing cuts. Currently, Ontario had the second highest nurse to patient ratio in the country with 6.99 nurses for every 1,000 residents in 2012, according to the Toronto Star. To meet the national average, the province would need to hire an additional 17,600 registered nurses, the RNAO told the Toronto Star. They accuse the province of downgrading care through the province's hiring of registered practical nurses, who completes a two-year college diploma, compared to a registered nurse, who completes a four-year university degree. Meanwhile, hospitals continue to work towards decreasing the likelihood of mistakes made during surgeries. Unfortunately, a recent study shows that hospital checklists, which were recommended by the World Health Organization, have only a minimal effect in reducing a patient's death during a surgery. The study compared post-operative complications, rates of hospital readmission and operative mortality three months before and after checklists were implemented. Winnipeg recently implemented an ER discharge checklist after two patients died after being sent home. It may not be known, but ER errors are common with frequent errors for malpractice lawsuits including diagnostic mistakes and prescription drug mistakes. Medical malpractice is a very serious issue and the personal injury and accident lawyers at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers have been handling all types of injuries for over 40 years including injuries from negligent medical workers. We understand the impacts injuries can have on your life and we know how to help you. Call us at 416-920-4242. Set up a free consultation and come talk with us.