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. 2017 Nov 30;12(11):e0188241.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188241. eCollection 2017.

Effect of nursing care hours on the outcomes of Intensive Care assistance

Tatiana do Altíssimo Nogueira  1 , Mayra Gonçalves Menegueti  1 , Gleice da Silva Castro Perdoná  2 , Maria Auxiliadora-Martins  3 , Fernanda Maria Togeiro Fugulin  4 , Ana Maria Laus  1
Affiliations

Effect of nursing care hours on the outcomes of Intensive Care assistance

Tatiana do Altíssimo Nogueira et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Objectives: To correlate the average number of nursing care hours dedicated to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients with nursing care indicators.

Method: Transverse, descriptive study conducted between 2011 and 2013. Data were obtained from the electronic records system and from the nursing staff daily schedule. Generalized Linear Models were used for analysis.

Results: A total of 1,717 patients were included in the study. The average NAS (Nursing Activities Score) value was 54.87. The average ratio between the number of nursing care hours provided to the patient and the number of nursing care hours required by the patient (hours ratio) was 0.87. Analysis of the correlation between nursing care indicators and the hours ratio showed that the indicators phlebitis and ventilator-associated pneumonia significantly correlated with hours ratio; that is, the higher the hours ratio, the lower the incidence of phlebitis and ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Conclusion: The number of nursing care hours directly impacts patient outcomes, which makes adjustment of nurse staffing levels essential.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Ratio between the number of nursing care hours provided to the patient and the number of nursing care hours required by the patient.
Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, 2013.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Incidence of phlebitis as a function of the hours ratio.
Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, 2013.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Incidence of ventilation-associated pneumonia as a function of the hours ratio.
Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, 2013.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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