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COVID-19 pandemic worsened patient safety measures, study finds

A new study, published in Nursing research — has found that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected patient safety indicators in U.S. hospitals. The study, from Penn Nursing’s Center for Health Policy and Outcomes Research (CHOPR), examined data from the National Nursing Quality Indicators Database to evaluate trends in nursing-sensitive quality indicators from 2019 to 2022. The prevention of these distressing and uncomfortable conditions is considered to be within the purview of the nurse and is directly influenced by nursing care.

The research found that rates of falls, bloodstream infections from central line catheters, urinary tract infections from urinary catheters, pressure injuries from devices or immobility, and pneumonia associated with ventilator use increased significantly during the pandemic. While some of these rates have begun to decline, they have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. When a patient falls, develops a pressure injury, or suffers a hospital-acquired infection, these adverse events delay the patient’s ability to return home, feel comfortable, and heal.

“The pandemic put immense pressure on healthcare systems and frontline workers, and the impact on patient safety is evident in these data,” said Eileen T. Lake, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor Edith Clemmer. Steinbright of Gerontology; Professor of Nursing, Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences; and Associate Director of CHOPR. “It is crucial that we address the current challenges that nurses face and invest in this professional workforce.”

The study highlights the importance of supporting nurses and ensuring they have the resources and support they need to provide high-quality care. It also underscores the need for continued efforts to improve patient safety indicators even as the pandemic subsides.

Co-authors include: Angela Pascale, PhD, research analyst, and Nora E. Warshawsky, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, nurse scientist, both of Press Ganey Associates LLC; Jessica G. Smith, PhD, RN, School of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington; Douglas Staiger, PhD, Department of Economics, Dartmouth College; and Jeannette A. Rogowski, PhD, Health Policy and Administration, Pennsylvania State University.

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