Hospital Staffing and Health Care–Associated Infections: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Brett G. Mitchell; Anne Gardner; Patricia W. Stone; Lisa Hall; Monika Pogorzelska-Maziarz

doi:10.1016/j.jcjq.2018.02.002

Hospital Staffing and Health Care–Associated Infections: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Brett G. Mitchell, Anne Gardner, Patricia W. Stone, Lisa Hall, Monika Pogorzelska-Maziarz

School of Nursing

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

70 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Previous literature has linked the level and types of staffing of health facilities to the risk of acquiring a health care–associated infection (HAI). Investigating this relationship is challenging because of the lack of rigorous study designs and the use of varying definitions and measures of both staffing and HAIs. Methods: The objective of this study was to understand and synthesize the most recent research on the relationship of hospital staffing and HAI risk. A systematic review was undertaken. Electronic databases MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched for studies published between January 1, 2000, and November 30, 2015. Results: Fifty-four articles were included in the review. The majority of studies examined the relationship between nurse staffing and HAIs (n = 50, 92.6%) and found nurse staffing variables to be associated with an increase in HAI rates (n = 40, 74.1%). Only 5 studies addressed non-nurse staffing, and those had mixed results. Physician staffing was associated with an increased HAI risk in 1 of 3 studies. Studies varied in design and methodology, as well as in their use of operational definitions and measures of staffing and HAIs. Conclusion: Despite the lack of consistency of the included studies, overall, the results of this systematic review demonstrate that increased staffing is related to decreased risk of acquiring HAIs. More rigorous and consistent research designs, definitions, and risk-adjusted HAI data are needed in future studies exploring this area.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	613-622
Number of pages	10
Journal	Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety
Volume	44
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2018.02.002
Publication status	Published - Oct 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Authors

Funding

Funding. This project was supported by an external competitive grant (Covidien) and scholarship awarded by Avondale College of Higher Education. Funders played no role in any element of this research.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Leadership and Management

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10.1016/j.jcjq.2018.02.002

Cite this

Mitchell, B. G., Gardner, A., Stone, P. W., Hall, L., & Pogorzelska-Maziarz, M. (2018). Hospital Staffing and Health Care–Associated Infections: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 44(10), 613-622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2018.02.002

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Hospital Staffing and Health Care–Associated Infections: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Access to Document

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