From July 1 2016, Queensland public health services are required to have minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.The ratios have been implemented in adult acute medical and surgical wards and some mental health units in Queensland’s public health sector. Acute wards look after patients who require a higher level of nursing care. The list of wards and facilities implementing ratios can be found here: Hospital and Health Boards Amendment Regulation (No.2) 2016.
 
What are Nurse-to-Patient Ratios?
A nurse-to-patient ratio is the number of nurses working on a particular ward, unit or department, in relation to the number of patients they care for.
There is established evidence that higher nurse-to-patient ratios have positive health outcomes for both consumers and nurses. These outcomes include:
For consumers:
- Improved patient satisfaction
- Lower mortality rates
- Shorter length of stay in hospital
- Reduced adverse events such as infections, pressure injures and post-operative complications

For nursing staff:
- Higher job satisfaction
- Lower turnover of staff
- Less absenteeism 

For more information about nurse-to-patient ratios, please click here.
 
Queensland Health would like your input into what you would want to know about the impact of the nurse-to-patient ratios on patient care, what should be publically reported and how you would like that information provided to you.  

The closing date for this survey is close of business 10 July 2017. Individual responses from this survey are confidential.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this short survey.
 
SURVEY

Question Title

* 1. Please tell us what is most important to you about the care you receive from nurses as a hospital patient or as a carer or family member of a hospital patient?

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