| Researchers have studied nurse outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover) extensively in relation to aspects of the work environment. Less understood is the relationship between nurse and patient outcomes. Furthermore, nurse-reported quality has been used as an outcome measure, and its relationship to other patient outcome measures has not been studied. Additionally, there is little standardization of patient outcome measures across studies.; This study was a secondary analysis of data collected as part of a larger study to compare the effects of nursing shift length on nurse outcomes, system outcomes, and quality related patient care outcomes. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to examine the relationships between nurse and patient outcomes, (2) to examine the relationships between patient outcomes obtained from different data sources, and (3) to examine the relationship between nurse-reported quality and other patient outcomes.; Higher levels of nurse burnout were associated with higher reports of quality, fewer patient falls, and fewer medication errors. Nurses who intended to leave their current positions reported lower quality than those who planned to remain in their current positions, as did nurses who had experienced a work-related injury within the past four months. Higher job satisfaction was associated with higher reported quality.; Falls measures obtained from two different data sources ware significantly correlated. Decubitus ulcers obtained from two different data sources were not significantly correlated, nor were medication errors obtained from two data sources. Increased patient falls and medication errors were significantly associated with nurse-reported quality. This may be due to very small sample sizes available for these analyses.; The findings of this study have implications for both nurse and patient safety. Nurse-reported quality is a useful barometer of nurse outcomes and patient outcomes. The correlation between measures obtained from different sources has implications for evaluating quality improvement activities and future research. |
