journal articles
NURSE STAFFING AND FALLS AMONG THE OLDER ADULTS IN NURSING HOMES
O.O. Omotowa, L.C. Hussey
Jour Nursing Home Res 2020;6:90-92
Adequate nurse staffing levels are critical to nursing homes’ residents’ quality of care outcomes. The number of nurse staffing hours per resident day directly affects being with, and supervising residents’ activities in ways to prevent falls. Studies have shown some negative direct relationships between nurse staffing levels and occurrences of falls in nursing homes. The objective of this report is to examine the relationship between nurse staffing and occurrence of falls in nursing homes. Articles were search from nursing and health care databases such as CINAHL Plus, Academic Search Complete, Medline Complete, and ProQuest Nursing using different levels of nurse staffing, nursing homes, and long-term care. Information was also retrieved from the Center for Diseases Prevention and Control and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services websites. Results showed that increased number of total nurses, increased licensed nurses, and increase ratio of registered nurses to certified nurse aids skill-mix were related to fewer numbers of falls. Falls are detrimental to nursing homes’ older adults’ quality of life. Adequate nurse staffing levels is imperative to maintain the dignity, wellbeing, and quality of life for vulnerable nursing homes’ residents.
CITATION:
O.O. Omotowa ; L.C. Hussey (2020): Nurse Staffing and Falls among the Older Adults in Nursing Homes. The Journal of Nursing Home Research Science (JNHRS). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jnhrs.2020.24