Nurse to patient ratios: The key to quality! Really?
A recent article in the Washington Post titled “D.C. Council chairman to propose bill boosting nursing staffs at hospitals” brings up again the issue of nurse-to-patient ratios. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson is quoted as saying “I think this bill is today’s version of the eight-hour day — something that we will see business resist but, on the other hand, makes good sense and leads to quality care.”
Wouldn’t it be nice if nurse-to-patient ratios were the key to quality care? The proposed bill includes some ratios, such as intensive care unit patients should have one nurse to every two patients. That sounds good, but some patients require one-on-one nursing due to their complexity, so is the mandate that those patients can’t have one-on-one nursing? Might there be patients in the intensive care units for whom one to three is appropriate? In my experience that answer is absolutely yes!