The Relationship between Registered Nurse Staffing and Inpatients HIV/AIDS Clinical Outcome: Severity of Illness

Hospitals with a higher proportion of registered nurses (RNs) or baccalaureate prepared nurses are associated with lower mortality rates in acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, and stroke. Others include lower rates in decubitus ulcers, failure to rescue, and postoperative deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism and shorter length of stay. A staff of 10% more RNs with higher baccalaureate degree decreased death by a minimum of 4%. However, studies on the relationship between RN full time staffing and inpatients severity of illness are lacking. A retrospective data analysis of inpatient HIV/AIDS discharges was conducted from the 2007 and 2010 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) to determine the nursing variables that affect the patient outcomes. Statistical analysis involved the use of crosstab and multivariate regression for hospital characteristics, and severity of illness. The results showed that RN full time Equivalence (FTEs) per 1000 patient days is one of the most critical variables that affect patient severity of illness for inpatients HIV/ AIDS discharges. In addition, a stronger relationship was found in 2010 than 2007 as hypothesized in the study. These findings highlight the need for more RNs to be employed full time in acute care hospitals for improved patient satisfaction with a clinical implication that acute care nurses need training at higher level for empowerment and better patient outcomes. *Corresponding author Priscilla O. Okunji, PhD, RN-BC, Department of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Division of Nursing, Howard University, USA, 516 Bryant Street, NW, Washington, DC 20059, Tel: 202-806-5581; Email: