Prof. Ruth Endacott: "Links between nurse staffing and outcomes in ICU"

The evidence on which we base decisions about nurse staffing in critical care units is sometimes not clear. The use of ratios (for example, nurse to patient ratio) is based on the assumption that patients with more organs failing require greater nursing resources. In the current climate, with increased demand on all health services, it is important to understand what impact any change in critical care nurse staffing might have on patients, family members, nurses, and the health service.