Hospital staffing and health care-associated infections: A systematic review of the literature

Patricia W. Stone; Monika Pogorzelska; Laureen Kunches; Lisa R. Hirschhorn

doi:10.1086/591696

Hospital staffing and health care-associated infections: A systematic review of the literature

Patricia W. Stone, Monika Pogorzelska, Laureen Kunches, Lisa R. Hirschhorn

Medical Social Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

79 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the past 10 years, many researchers have examined relationships between hospital staffing and patients' risk of health care-associated infection (HAI). To gain understanding of this evidence base, a systematic review was conducted, and 42 articles were audited. The most common infection studied was bloodstream infection (n = 18; 43%). The majority of researchers examined nurse staffing (n = 38; 90%); of these, only 7 (18%) did not find a statistically significant association between nurse staffing variable(s) and HAI rates. Use of nonpermanent staff was associated with increased rates of HAI in 4 studies (P < .05). Three studies addressed infection control professional staffing with mixed results. Physician staffing was not found to be associated with patients' HAI risk (n = 2). The methods employed and operational definitions used for both staffing and HAI varied; despite this variability, trends were apparent. Research characterizing effective staffing for infection control departments is needed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	937-944
Number of pages	8
Journal	Clinical Infectious Diseases
Volume	47
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/591696
State	Published - Oct 1 2008

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Microbiology (medical)
Infectious Diseases

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1086/591696

Cite this

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title = "Hospital staffing and health care-associated infections: A systematic review of the literature",

abstract = "In the past 10 years, many researchers have examined relationships between hospital staffing and patients' risk of health care-associated infection (HAI). To gain understanding of this evidence base, a systematic review was conducted, and 42 articles were audited. The most common infection studied was bloodstream infection (n = 18; 43%). The majority of researchers examined nurse staffing (n = 38; 90%); of these, only 7 (18%) did not find a statistically significant association between nurse staffing variable(s) and HAI rates. Use of nonpermanent staff was associated with increased rates of HAI in 4 studies (P < .05). Three studies addressed infection control professional staffing with mixed results. Physician staffing was not found to be associated with patients' HAI risk (n = 2). The methods employed and operational definitions used for both staffing and HAI varied; despite this variability, trends were apparent. Research characterizing effective staffing for infection control departments is needed.",

author = "Stone, {Patricia W.} and Monika Pogorzelska and Laureen Kunches and Hirschhorn, {Lisa R.}",

note = "Funding Information: In the past 10 years, there has been much interest in gaining an understanding of the relationship between health care–provider staffing and patient safety outcomes, such as HAIs. To examine these issues, a number of research projects have been funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and other agencies. There is a growing evidence base regarding working conditions in general (with staffing included as an important aspect of working conditions) and patient safety outcomes, such as HAI. In an effort to gain clarity and synthesize this evidence, a number of reports have been prepared [3–5]. However, none have focused specifically on the relationship between hospital staffing and HAI.",

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Hospital staffing and health care-associated infections: A systematic review of the literature

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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