Study Illustrates Connection Between Overworked Nurses, Infections: Could NJ Hospitals Be At Risk?
Richard P. Console Jr
August 31,2012
A recent study highlighting a dangerous trend among hospital nurses has many Marlton medical malpractice attorneys concerned as to how this is affecting New Jersey hospitals. The study, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, found that for every additional patient that is added to a nurse’s workload there was one additional hospital-acquired infection (per 1,000 patients). What this study seems to suggest is that the more overworked and overloaded the nurse is, the greater the chance that a patient will develop an infection while in that hospital.
According to an NBC report the study highlighted that, “The nurses cared for an average of 5.7 patients apiece, and when even one extra patient was added to that load, the result was an additional 1,351 infections within the hospital population studied.”
This is not an issue that is exclusive to one location. It seems to be occurring all of the country, including New Jersey. The data on hospital-acquired infections was collected from throughout Pennsylvania and then combined with national data.
The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) keeps detailed records of incidents occurring in hospitals both good and bad. One section of their annual report addresses patient safety indicators (PSIs), or the occurrence of dangerous incidents, for each hospital in the state.
In their 2011 report, they showed that Virtua-West Jersey Hospital in Marlton was higher than the state average for occurrences of post-operative wound dehiscence (where a wound breaks open along a suture putting the patient at an increased risk for infection), post-operative hemorrhage or hematoma (abnormal or excessive bleeding), and post-operative pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis (two serious types of blood clots).
Virtua-West was also rated by the Leap Frog Group in their 2011 Hospital Safety Score and that showed that they had a higher than average occurrence of central line-associated bloodstream infections, which occur when a central line placed in a patient’s neck or chest is not inserted or cleaned properly. Although the study had a section to report on employees and employee practices, Virtua-West Marlton did not disclose this information.
Taking into consideration the information from the recent study, is there a problem with the amount of patients being assigned to each nurse that could be causing an increase in infections? Hospitals have an obligation to their patients not to cause further harm or injury to them while under the hospital’s care. Failure to do so be it through medical error or instances of malpractice may entitle the victim or their family to seek monetary compensation for the resulting injuries.
It is important that all patients receive accepted medical care in a safe and clean environment. If you or someone you love developed a serious infection or suffered other harm as the result of medical error, speak with knowledgeable medical malpractice attorneys in New Jersey today.
Links:
Marlton medical malpractice lawyers: https://www.consoleandhollawell.com/pages/virtua-west-jersey-hospital-marlton-medical-malpractice-lawsuits/
NBC report: https://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/30/12994989-burned-out-nurses-linked-to-more-infections-in-patients?lite
2011 report: https://web.doh.state.nj.us/apps2/hpr/docs/2011/report.pdf
2011 Hospital Safety Score: https://hospitalsafetyscore.org/hospital-details.html?location_id=1537
medical malpractice attorneys in New Jersey: https://www.consoleandhollawell.com/new-jersey/medical-malpractice-lawyers/