| Title | Hospital characteristics associated with nurse staffing during labor and birth: Inequities for the most vulnerable maternity patients. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2023 |
| Authors | Simpson, KR, Spetz, J, Gay, CL, Fletcher, J, Landstrom, GL, Lyndon, A |
| Journal | Nurs Outlook |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pagination | 101960 |
| Date Published | 2023 Mar 30 |
| ISSN | 1528-3968 |
| Abstract | BACKGROUND: Evidence is limited on nurse staffing in maternity units. PURPOSE: To estimate the relationship between hospital characteristics and adherence with Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses nurse staffing guidelines. METHODS: We enrolled 3,471 registered nurses in a cross-sectional survey and obtained hospital characteristics from the 2018 American Hospital Association Annual Survey. We used mixed-effects linear regression models to estimate associations between hospital characteristics and staffing guideline adherence. FINDINGS: Overall, nurses reported strong adherence to AWHONN staffing guidelines (rated frequently or always met by ≥80% of respondents) in their hospitals. Higher birth volume, having a neonatal intensive care unit, teaching status, and higher percentage of births paid by Medicaid were all associated with lower mean guideline adherence scores. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Important gaps in staffing were reported more frequently at hospitals serving patients more likely to have medical or obstetric complications, leaving the most vulnerable patients at risk. |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.outlook.2023.101960 |
| Alternate Journal | Nurs Outlook |
| PubMed ID | 37004352 |
