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Philadelphia (EMBARGOED UNTIL May 11, 2021 at 6:30 PM EST) -A new study published in
The Lancet today showed that a policy establishing minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in hospitals in Queensland, Australia saved lives, prevented readmissions, shortened hospital stays, and reduced costs.
The study, by the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR) at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and the Queensland University of Technology School of Nursing, evaluated legislation enacted in 2016 as a safety measure. The new policy limited the average number of patients per nurse to four, similar to pending legislation in New York and Illinois. "The positive results in Queensland should inform policies in the U.S. and elsewhere," said lead-author Matthew McHugh, PhD, the Independence Chair for Nursing Education and CHOPR Director.