Nurse staffing and veteran outcomes in the veterans health administration's community living centers

BACKGROUND:The demand for nursing care is rising in the long-term care setting. Nurse staffing is a crucial measure linked to health care quality measure outcomes. PURPOSE:To assess for associations between nursing hours per patient day (NHPPD) and outcome measures in the Veterans Health Administration Community Living Centers. METHODS:A retrospective data review of NHPPD and quality measures for 134 community living centers was conducted. Linear regression was used to assess for linear associations between average total NHPPD and 6 quality measures. RESULTS:A significant linear association was found between average total NHPPD and falls with major injury ( P = .02) and help with activities of daily living ( P = .01). No associations were found between nurse staffing and 4 other quality measures. CONCLUSIONS:This study adds to the body of literature regarding the impact of nurse staffing on quality measures.