Evaluating the Influence of Nursing Staffing Levels and Work Environment on Patient Care Quality in Tertiary Care Hospitals

Abstract

The quality of patient care worldwide is compromised by inadequate nursing staffing and poor working environments, leading to higher burnout and adverse outcomes. Staffing shortages, driven by factors like retirements, low enrollment, and migration, significantly impact healthcare quality and patient safety. Countries like the USA, Japan, and Pakistan face similar challenges, with workforce planning and policies often falling short. Ensuring appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios and improving work conditions are essential for enhancing patient satisfaction and health outcomes. To explore the influence of nursing staffing levels and the overall workplace environment on patient care quality, and to assess the relationship between these factors and patient outcomes. This cross-sectional study recruited 222 government hospital nurses and 73 private hospital nurses’ accumulated 295 sample size, using SPSS version 23 to analyze the relationship among the variables. The patient care quality in both healthcare institutions was strongly influenced by the work environment, according to the analysis. In the government hospital, the work environment had a substantial and significant positive effect (β = 0.772, p <.001), and the model explained 68.2% of the variance (R² = 0.682). Likewise, 59.7% of the variation was explained by the private hospital model (R² = 0.597), with the work environment having a significant effect (β = 0.671, p <.001). In both contexts, staffing levels had positive, non-significant impact. Improved work environment and adequate nursing staffing amounts have a positive impact on patient care quality. Nursing staffing levels and work environment conditions should be focused on to improve patient care quality in healthcare facilities.