Philip L Henneman1, Seung Yeob Shin, Yuriy Brun, Hari Balasubramanian, Fidela Blank, Leon J Osterweil. 1. Author Affiliations: Professor and Attending Physician (Dr Henneman) and Assistant Professor and Nurse Research Coordinator (Ms Blank), Department of Emergency Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts; PhD Candidate (Mr Shin) and Assistant Professor (Dr Brun), School of Computer Science, and Associate Professor (Dr Balasubramanian), College of Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and Professor (Dr Osterweil), School of Computer Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of nurse-to-patient ratios on patient length of stay (LOS) in computer simulations of emergency department (ED) care. METHODS: Multiple 24-hour computer simulations of emergency care were used to evaluate the impact of different minimum nurse-to-patient ratios related to ED LOS, which is composed of wait (arrival to bed placement) and bedtime (bed placement to leave bed). RESULTS: Increasing the number of patients per nurse resulted in increased ED LOS. Mean bedtimes in minutes were impacted by nurse-to-patient ratios. CONCLUSIONS: In computer simulation of ED care, increasing the number of patients per nurse resulted in increasing delays in care (ie, increasing bedtime).
OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of nurse-to-patient ratios on patient length of stay (LOS) in computer simulations of emergency department (ED) care. METHODS: Multiple 24-hour computer simulations of emergency care were used to evaluate the impact of different minimum nurse-to-patient ratios related to ED LOS, which is composed of wait (arrival to bed placement) and bedtime (bed placement to leave bed). RESULTS: Increasing the number of patients per nurse resulted in increased ED LOS. Mean bedtimes in minutes were impacted by nurse-to-patient ratios. CONCLUSIONS: In computer simulation of ED care, increasing the number of patients per nurse resulted in increasing delays in care (ie, increasing bedtime).