Safe staffing for nursing practice: operationalization of the concept and its impact on outcomes

Abstract

The need to adjust nursing resources to the real needs of clients for nursing care is a major concern of healthcare managers, due to its influence on the quality and safety of care. Thus the concept of safe nurse staffing emerged, and this goes beyond considering the number of nurses by also valuing their skills and the context in which care is provided. Objectives: To analyze the different ways of operationalizing the concept of safe nurse staffing and its impact on the results obtained in terms of clients, nurses and healthcare organizations. Methods: A literature review of the research conducted between 2000 and 2011 on the theme of safe nurse staffing, methods of staffing calculation, nursing ratios, and the impact of safe staffing. Conclusions: There is no evidence of a universal method because none of the methods of staffing calculation integrates the diversity involved in the different facets of the concept, nor incorporates the necessary dynamism to adapt to different contexts. Implication for nursing: Safe nurse staffing is a determining factor in the quality of care provided to the client and it has impact on the results obtained for care providers and organizations.