cover story
Missed Nursing Care Results in Patients ’ Unmet Needs , Dissatisfaction and Potential Infections and Adverse Events
By Kelly M . Pyrek
Editor ’ s note
In the first part of this series published in the February 2023 issue , we examined the impact of missed nursing care on infection prevention . In part two , we look at how missed nursing care impacts outcomes in patients .
Common sense , as well as numerous studies in the medical literature , tell us that missed nursing care as well as lower staffing levels contribute to the likelihood that patients can suffer harm , adverse outcomes and infections , or even die .
“ There is a strong demonstrated link between staff-patient communication and improved outcomes for patients ,” confirms Leah Binder , president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group , an organization representing employers and other purchasers of healthcare calling for improved safety and quality in hospitals . “ The more nurses can communicate to the patient what care is supposed to be delivered and what is delivered , that provides a foundation for a more activated patient . Patients who are hospitalized are asked to complete a patient experience survey ( HCAHPS ) after their discharge from the hospital , which provides patients the opportunity to share their experience with nurse communication , doctor communication , and the responsiveness of the staff . The responsiveness of staff and perceptions of nursing are linked to research on patient outcomes and safety . That ’ s why a hospital ’ s performance on those measures is included in Leapfrog ’ s Hospital Safety Grade and publicly reported on CMS ’ s Care Compare website . We need more measures of patient experience from more facilities , such as ASCs and pediatric care .”
In their review of the literature , Recio-Saucedo , et al . ( 2017 ) identified significantly decreased patient satisfaction associated with missed nursing care , as well as associated outcomes including
There is a strong demonstrated link between staff-patient communication and improved outcomes for patients .” — Leah Binder , CEO , The Leapfrog Group