Nurse staffing, medical staffing and mortality in Intensive Care: An observational study
International Journal of Nursing StudiesPublished 27 February 2014Open access
Elizabeth West, David Barron, David A Harrison, Anne Marie Rafferty, Kathy Rowan, Colin Sanderson
Citations193
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score2.82
SNIP3.21
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TL;DR
This study supports claims that the availability of medical and nursing staff is associated with the survival of critically ill patients and suggests that future studies should focus on the resources of the health care team.
Abstract
This study supports claims that the availability of medical and nursing staff is associated with the survival of critically ill patients and suggests that future studies should focus on the resources of the health care team. The results emphasise the urgent need for a prospective study of staffing levels and the organisation of care in ICUs.
Keywords
Medicine
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