Nursing Groups, Some Safety Experts Say Inadequate Nurse Staffing Is A Widespread Problem In US Hospitals.

“Nursing groups and some safety experts say inadequate nurse staffing is a widespread problem in US hospitals,” contending that inadequate staffing is “a key factor in poor quality of care, higher rates of readmission, infection and mortality, lower patient satisfaction and staff burnout.” Some even call for “state and federal legislation...to address the issue.” Modern Healthcare focused on a particular case of a “large pressure ulcer” found last March on a patient at the Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center in Kentucky. A “federal investigation” revealed that the patient had not been moved and turned adequately over a period of days because “the hospital...was understaffed.” As a result, the CMS “placed Hazard ARH in ‘immediate jeopardy’ of losing Medicare funding due to failure to provide adequate staffing.” http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20151024/MAGAZINE/310249979/got-enough-nurses-nurse-groups-cite-kentucky-case-to-support-push