Nursing-Sensitive Quality Indicators Negatively Impacted by Pandemic

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 6, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Rates for five nursing-sensitive quality indicators (NSIs) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and have subsequently declined, according to a study published online in the November/December issue of Nursing Research.

Eileen T. Lake, Ph.D., R.N., from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues examined annual trends in five NSIs. The analysis included data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (2019 through 2022) for adult medical-surgical or critical care inpatient nursing units in 2,346 hospitals.

The researchers found that the mean prepandemic rates were 6.58 ventilator-associated events per 1,000 ventilator days (critical care only), 2.41 hospital-acquired pressure injuries per 1,000 device days, 2.20 falls per 1,000 patient days, 0.96 catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) per 1,000 catheter days, and 0.68 central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) per 1,000 central line days for medical-surgical and critical care units combined. There were significant increases in rates for all five nursing-sensitive indicators beginning in 2020. While rates have since declined, they had not returned to baseline by 2022. There was a range in increases to the maximum from a 12 percent increase in CAUTI to 49 percent for CLABSI.

“The pandemic”s enduring negative effects on the nursing workforce must be addressed to preserve patient safety,” the authors write.

Two authors disclosed being employees of Press Ganey.

Abstract/Full Text