Nurse Staffing, Interruptions in Practice, and Patient Safety Outcomes: Exploring the Systems Issues

Changes to health care in Canada over the latter part of the 1990s have resulted in a number of new challenges for hospital nurse executives and health care leaders. In response to fiscal constraints and funding reductions, many health care settings restructured and downsized in an effort to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of services provided. These changes, coupled with the nursing shortage, have prompted concern in the nursing community regarding the work environment of nurses, and how this may influence nurse and patient safety outcomes.

Research Summary

Changes to health care in Canada over the latter part of the 1990s have resulted in a number of new challenges for hospital nurse executives and health care leaders. In response to fiscal constraints and funding reductions, many health care settings restructured and downsized in an effort to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of services provided. These changes, coupled with the nursing shortage, have prompted concern in the nursing community regarding the work environment of nurses, and how this may influence nurse and patient safety outcomes.

The goal of this research project is to examine the systems issues related to interruptions in nursing work, and how these impact on outcomes for the nurse (e.g. nurses’ remorse, job stress, job satisfaction) and patient safety (e.g. medication error rates, omissions of treatments, incomplete care delivery). In the first phase, the research team will determine the sources and types of nursing interruptions and the nature and extent of patient safety occurrences. In the next phase, they will develop and implement a work redesign initiative to eliminate interruptions in nursing work environments that is realistic and feasible. Finally, the research team will examine the effectiveness and impact of the work redesign initiatives on patient and nurse outcomes.

The results from this study will assist health care leaders to improve the care they provide and guide decisions regarding the design of work environments, as related to nursing practice and patient safety.

Two BC Health Authorities are study sites for this project: Northern Health Authority and Vancouver Island Health Authority.