The relationship between nursing characteristics with patient outcomes in hospitals

The research was conducted using a cross-sectional, descriptive and relational design to determine the relationship between nursing characteristics and patient outcomes in hospitals. The study sample consisted of patients (n=408) receiving inpatient orthopedic surgical treatment and nurses (n=101) providing care in three tertiary hospitals on the European side of Istanbul. Data were collected between 01.11.2020 and 31.12.2022. Data related to nurses were gathered using the "Nurse Demographic Information Form", the "Holistic Nursing Competence Scale" and the "Nurse Monitoring Form". Data related to patients were collected using the "Patient Demographic Information Form", the "Patient Monitoring Form (Care Dependency Scale)" and the "Newcastle Nursing Care Satisfaction Scale". Descriptive statistical methods were used to evaluate the data, while parametric tests (Student's t-test or ANOVA) were used for comparisons between groups, the Chi-Square test for categorical data, and Pearson correlation analysis for determining relationships between variables. The average total score for the Holistic Nursing Competence Scale among nurses was found to be 5.54±0.89. The average score for the Care Dependency Scale among patients was 69.17±9.33, the average score for the Newcastle Nursing Care Satisfaction Scale was 86.1±12.98, the average hospitalization cost was 11,696.06 TL, and the average cost for readmission after discharge was 1,126.82 TL. According to the correlation analysis of the relationship between nursing characteristics and patient outcomes, a positive significant relationship was found between nurses' education level (bachelor's degree and above), holistic nursing competence score and nurse-patient ratio with patients' hospitalization costs. A negative significant relationship was found between nurses' job satisfaction rate [(satisfied+very satisfied nurses)/total number of nurses] and patients' hospitalization costs. No significant relationship was found between nursing characteristics and patients' nursing care satisfaction. When comparing nursing characteristics with patient outcomes, significant differences were found in pressure ulcers and infiltration among nursing-sensitive care indicators, as well as complications, readmission within 30 days after discharge, and reoperation rates among other patient outcomes. Based on these results, it is recommended to increase nurses' education level, competence, and job satisfaction due to their positive impact on patient outcomes; to improve working conditions in environments with high workloads, such as overtime and nurse-patient ratios, by ensuring appropriate nurse staffing; and to ensure the quality of patient care and education.