The effects of staffing practices on safety and quality of perioperative nursing care – an integrative review

Problem identification Patients undergoing invasive procedures are highly vulnerable to adverse outcomes. From 2012 to 2013, 5.5 per cent of all inpatient admissions reported an adverse event. Perioperative nurses play an important role in providing safe patient care and acting as the patient advocate. This review of literature aims to examine the effects of perioperative staffing and patient safety. Three common staffing themes that impact the safety and quality of patient care were identified; namely, nurse-to-patient ratios, staff training and staff fatigue.