Studies show that profitable hospitals invest less in nursing, which affects the results of patients.
A new study has found that patients in lucrative hospitals face poor results, including more likely to return to the hospital and a higher risk of dying. Research indicates a major difference on how these hospitals spend money, especially when it comes to nursing care. Compared to non -profit hospitals, profitable people were found to spend less on nurses and provide a worse work situation for them. This makes a difference because the evidence of the years shows that strong nursing teams – each shift means more members of the nursing staff and have better support for patients with safe care and better recovery.
The research was led by a group at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. They looked at the data from more than one hundred hospitals in Illinois and focused on adults in general medical care. The study jumped the hospital record and the nurse survey in 2021. The results suggest that in the profitable hospitals, nurses are more likely to report low classification on poor work conditions, poor levels of staff and important safety measures, such as how the infection was handled. These issues were not explained in the size of the hospital or how advanced their technology was. In other words, a profitable hospital was not small or less equipped-they did not put so much money in nursing.
Nurses have lowered patients in profitable hospitals, and they are more likely to give the hospital a poor number of poor numbers, a study leader said. He also noticed that his workplace did not require him to do his jobs well. This is similar to the patients tested. When nurses were low in hospitals or the proportion of staff is the worst proportion, patients did not get attention levels they need. And when the nurses are thin, there can be mistakes. This may mean that infections are missed, patients fall, or delays in maintenance.
This research has also increased a major conversation across the country. In many states, lawmakers are emphasizing new rules so that hospitals need to have minimal numbers for nursing staff. These suggestions are often met with strong resistance to hospital leaders, who argue that it will cost a lot of money. But the study suggests otherwise. Non -profit hospitals had similar financial margins compared to profit, meaning they were not under much pressure to save money. The difference is that the money goes. Researchers say there is now enough evidence to show that better nurse staff pays for a long time by avoiding expensive complications and making patients healthy in a long time.
Another concern raised by the team is the growing role of private investors in the hospital business. Since more hospitals are purchased or run for profit by investment groups, its focus may be on a lower cost. It is disturbing to both nurses and patients, especially if it means that job is less supported. Although only eight lucrative hospitals were considered in this particular study, these differences were so strong to raise red flags. The authors intended to continue their research with a large group of hospitals to find out if the same sample appears somewhere else.
Finally, this study has said that nurses have said something for years: Patients perform well when the hospital invests in their nursing staff. This is not just a theory – its actual number is supported. Cutting corners on nursing care can save money in a short period of time, but this can cost life in a long time. The message is clear for families trying to decide where the search for care is, and for lawmakers, how the hospitals should run, the message is clear. What you pay for you gets, and when it comes to health care, the nurses can be cut off heavily.
Sources:
Studies highlight why nursing and patients have poor consequences in profitable hospitals
Investing in nursing services is associated with hospital ownership type: Evidence from Illinois
