Table 4.

Patient and nurse outcomes in trusts with different staffing levels

	Odds ratios for negative outcomes in relation to the 1st quartile of trusts (6.9–8.3 patients per nurse, 7 hospitals)
	Quartile 2 8.6–10.0 patients per nurse (8 hospitals)	P	Quartile 3 10.1–12.0 patients per nurse (8 hospitals)	P	Quartile 4 12.4–14.3 patients per nurse (7 hospitals)	P
Patient outcomes a
Mortality	1.20 (0.97, 1.49)	0.09	1.14 (0.99, 1.31)	0.07	1.26 (1.09, 1.46)	0.002
Failure to rescue	1.20 (1.03, 1.40)	0.02	1.16 (0.99, 1.34)	0.06	1.29 (1.12, 1.49)	<0.001
Nurse-reported outcomes b
High emotional exhaustion	1.34 (1.05, 1.69)	0.02	1.14 (0.88, 1.46)	0.32	1.78 (1.35, 2.37)	<0.001
Job dissatisfaction	1.22 (0.93, 1.58)	0.15	1.38 (1.16, 1.65)	<0.001	1.71 (1.33, 2.19)	<0.001
Fair/poor quality of care on unit	1.35 (0.98, 1.86)	0.07	1.59 (1.14, 2.22)	0.008	1.92 (1.43, 2.56)	<0.001
Quality of care deteriorated in hospital in last year	1.44 (1.06, 1.96)	0.02	1.32 (0.89, 1.95)	0.16	1.75 (1.19, 2.56)	0.004

Odds ratios computed in logistic regression models with adjustment for clustering of subjects by hospital.

Hospital characteristics include hospital size, teaching status, and technology status.

^aPatient characteristics include risk score (see text), age (linear and quadratic terms), mode of admission, major diagnostic category.

^bNurse characteristics include age, sex, enrolled (versus registered) nurse, degree, dependents and clinical specialty.