THE EFFECTS OF NURSE-TO-PATIENT RATIOS ON QUALITY OF PATIENT CARE IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS OF BAHAWALPUR

Abstract

Background: The quality of healthcare and patient health outcomes are greatly impacted by nurse-patient ratios. Particularly in critical care units, proper staffing guarantees prompt care, lowers adverse events, and raises patient satisfaction. According to studies, larger nurse-to-patient ratios result in fewer consequences, such as infections, prescription errors, and mortality, as well as improved patient decline identification. On the other hand, low ratios raise turnover, job discontent, and burnout among nurses. Aim: The current study was aimed to identify the effects of nurse to patient ratios on quality of patient care in health care settings of bahawalpur. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive research study included 73 nurses who worked in Bahawalpur's public and private hospitals. The data was collected through convenient sampling technique, using a closed-ended questionnaire before being analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0.1. Result: According to the survey, the majority of the nursing staff were female and in their early careers, and they were assigned to general wards.  Most agreed that low nurse-to-patient ratios made it difficult to provide high-quality treatment.  Time restraints, staff shortages, and resource limits were linked to high rates of medication mistakes, pressure ulcers, infections, and patient falls.  Patient safety results indicate that both public and private hospitals in District Bahawalpur urgently require more personnel and support, even though infection control and awareness of care quality received moderate to excellent ratings. Conclusions: The study highlights the significant influence of nurse-to-patient ratios on patient health within both public and private healthcare facilities in District Bahawalpur. Inadequate staffing was found to negatively affect care quality, leading to issues such as medication errors and poor communication.