The Effect of Nurse Staffing on Patient Outcomes in Acute Care Hospitals in Korea

Nurse staffing is an important factor influencing patient health outcomes. This study aimed to analyze the effects of nurse staffing on patient health outcomes, such as length of stay, mortality within 30 days of hospitalization, and readmission within 7 days of discharge, in acute care hospitals in Korea. Data from the first quarter of 2018 were collected using public and inpatient sample data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The data of 46,196 patients admitted to 536 general wards of acute care hospitals were analyzed. A multilevel logistic analysis was performed for the patients’ mortality and early readmission, and a multilevel zero-truncated negative binomial analysis was performed for the length of stay. The average length of stay in acute care hospitals was 6.54 ± 6.03 days, the mortality rate was 1.1%, and the early readmission rate was 7.1%. As the nurse staffing level increased, the length of stay and number of early readmissions were likely to decrease. It can be concluded that interventions to improve nurse staffing are required; for example, a policy that compels medical institutions to comply with Korea’s medical law standards should be implemented. Additionally, continuous research and interventions are needed to establish an appropriate nurse staffing level according to patient severity.