Students should select a topic that aligns to their area of interest as well as the clinical practice setting in which practice hours are completed. Write a 500-750 word description of your proposed capstone project topic. Include the following: You are required to cite to a minimum of eight peer-reviewed sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice.
Title: The Impact of Nurse-to-Patient Ratio on Patient Outcomes in Critical Care Settings
Introduction
Nursing is an essential discipline that plays a significant role in promoting positive patient outcomes in healthcare settings. One crucial aspect that influences the quality of nursing care is the nurse-to-patient ratio, defined as the number of patients assigned to each nurse. The importance of appropriate nurse staffing levels has been widely recognized as a crucial determinant of patient safety and healthcare quality. Therefore, this proposed capstone project aims to explore the impact of nurse-to-patient ratio on patient outcomes in critical care settings. This topic is chosen based on my interest in critical care nursing and the need to address the issue of workload and staffing within this specialized area of nursing practice.
Background and Rationale
Nurse staffing and workload have garnered considerable attention in the nursing literature due to their influence on patient safety, quality of care, and nurse job satisfaction. Numerous studies have highlighted the detrimental effects of inadequate nurse staffing, particularly in critical care settings, where patients require intricate assessments, complex interventions, and constant monitoring. Insufficient staffing can lead to increased medication errors, higher rates of healthcare-associated infections, delays in delivering care, and poor patient outcomes.
Despite the growing evidence on the importance of nurse-to-patient ratio, there is still a lack of consensus regarding the optimal ratio for critical care settings. Moreover, the relationship between nurse staffing and patient outcomes is complex, and other factors such as nurse experience, skill mix, and nurse workload also play a role. Therefore, a comprehensive exploration of the impact of nurse-to-patient ratio on patient outcomes in critical care settings is needed to inform evidence-based practice and improve patient safety.
Research Questions
To address the research gap, the following research questions will guide this capstone project:
1. What is the relationship between nurse-to-patient ratio and patient outcomes in critical care settings?
2. How does nurse workload, including additional factors such as patient acuity and skill mix, influence the relationship between nurse-to-patient ratio and patient outcomes?
Methods
To conduct a comprehensive review of the literature on this topic, a systematic review will be performed. A systematic review is a rigorous methodological approach that involves searching, critically appraising, and synthesizing the existing evidence from relevant studies. The inclusion criteria will be developed to ensure that the selected studies are appropriate for this review. Only peer-reviewed articles published within the last 5 years will be considered to ensure the use of up-to-date evidence.
The search strategy will include electronic databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus, alongside a manual search of relevant nursing journals. The identified articles will be independently assessed for eligibility by two reviewers using predefined criteria. Discrepancies will be resolved through discussion and consensus. The selected articles will then undergo data extraction using a standardized form to collect relevant information, including study design, sample characteristics, nurse-to-patient ratio, patient outcomes, and other relevant variables.
To ensure the quality of the studies included, the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines will be followed. Methodological quality assessment will be conducted using appropriate tools, such as the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale or the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools for quantitative and qualitative studies, respectively.
Expected Findings and Implications
This systematic review is expected to generate valuable insights into the impact of nurse-to-patient ratio on patient outcomes in critical care settings. The findings will contribute to the existing body of knowledge and provide evidence-based recommendations for nurse staffing in critical care units. Furthermore, the results will shed light on the role of nurse workload and other related variables in the relationship between nurse-to-patient ratio and patient outcomes. These findings are expected to inform healthcare policies, nursing practice guidelines, and workforce planning initiatives to optimize nursing care delivery and improve patient safety.
Conclusion
This proposal presents a capstone project that aims to explore the impact of nurse-to-patient ratio on patient outcomes in critical care settings. Through a systematic review of the literature, this project will provide valuable insights into the relationship between nurse staffing and patient outcomes. The findings of this study will contribute to evidence-based practice, enhance patient safety, and inform strategies for improving nurse staffing in critical care settings.