Understaffing is a major issue at hospitals across the nation. Several New York hospitals are significantly understaffed, increasing the odds that patients will be injured while seeking care. After the COVID-19 pandemic, this situation has reached crisis levels, with many patients and families experiencing the consequences of hospital understaffing firsthand.
If you believe that you or a loved one was injured due to inadequate staffing at a hospital in New York, reach out to the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Powers & Santola, LLP. We have helped countless individuals recover financial compensation after they were injured due to medical errors and administrative mistakes at area hospitals. Call us today for a free consultation.
What Is Hospital Understaffing?
Hospital understaffing refers to having an inadequate number of staff members to provide appropriate patient care, known as quantitative understaffing. It can also refer to not having enough healthcare providers with certain types of expertise, known as qualitative understaffing. Understaffing leads to situations in which there is insufficient staff to take care of a large number of patients. Research indicates that nursing understaffing is a significant issue in the healthcare industry, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Documented Dangers Hospital Understaffing
Extensive research has been conducted on the problem of understaffing in hospitals and patient care. At least 23 studies have found a direct relationship between understaffing and patient safety, often noting the adverse effects of inadequate staffing. Eight of these studies focused on mortality in patients admitted to a hospital, comparing numbers between understaffed and adequately staffed hospitals.
Some of the connections these research studies have made include:
- Each increase of one patient per nurse is associated with a 7% increase in the likelihood of a surgical patient dying within 30 days of admission.
- Each increase of one patient per nurse was associated with a 7% increase in the likelihood of dying within 30 days of admission and a 7% increase in the odds of failure to rescue a patient.
- One additional patient in the average nurse’s workload was associated with higher odds of 30-day mortality for all patients.
- Patients with a nurse caring for three or more patients had an increased risk of reintubation, pneumonia, and sepsis.
- The odds of failure to rescue were higher for patients in settings with poorer nursing staffing.
- Patients are directly harmed as a consequence of understaffing through infections, pressure ulcers, and other adverse hospital events.
- Patients with poorer staffing numbers had longer average hospital stays.
- A large number of patients per nurse were significantly associated with a greater incidence of administration of wrong medication or dose, pressure ulcers, and patient falls.
What Causes Hospital Understaffing?
Various factors can contribute to hospital understaffing, including:
Greed
Hospitals may try to maximize profits by not employing sufficient numbers of qualified staff members to provide patient care. They may prioritize profits over ensuring adequate staffing levels.
High Turnover
Many jobs in the healthcare industry put a tremendous strain on workers, who may be required to work long shifts, mandatory overtime, and on holidays. This leaves hospitals with gaps in their staffing and the possibility of not being able to provide adequate patient care.
An Aging Population
The United States has a large aging population with the baby boomers’ generation. It is estimated that there will be 71 million individuals aged 65 or older by 2029. Older people tend to require more health services, putting a strain on the healthcare industry. Additionally, many baby boomers who were nurses are now retiring, leaving additional unfilled gaps.
More Sick Patients
The COVID-19 pandemic put a tremendous strain on the healthcare industry, during which there were insufficient numbers of nurses to treat critically ill patients. Many nurses left the field after this crisis due to the trauma and unrealistic working conditions. Hospital rates for those with COVID-19 and the flu are similar, adding more patients to hospitals’ rosters.
Healthcare Provider Burnout
The strains mentioned above have resulted in many healthcare workers being burnt out. Many nurses report unsympathetic hospital administrators and a lack of support staff, further contributing to a stressful work environment. This has caused some healthcare workers to leave the field entirely in favor of less stressful assignments.
Night and Shift Work
Understaffing may be more likely to occur during certain shifts, such as night or swing shifts. People may not like these working hours and opt for one that is more conducive to their personal or family needs.
Shortage of Nurse Managers
Fewer nurses train for nursing management positions, leaving these spots unfilled. Hospitals may not provide incentives for their staff to increase their education or skill levels.
Despite these contributing factors, hospitals have a duty to provide proper care to their patients. When they fail to hire adequate numbers of staff or accurately forecast their future needs, they can be held liable for resulting injuries.
Case Study on Hospital Understaffing: Albany Med
Pam Hollon, a registered nurse and member of the New York State Nurses Association, wrote an open letter to the Times Union, detailing her personal experience working with the hospital Albany Med. In it, she detailed how understaffing was a known problem at the hospital but was not rectified despite multiple complaints. She described how she works in the newborn nursery and that neonatal resuscitation program guidelines state two nurses should be present at every high-risk delivery but that the hospital routinely only assigns one nurse for these cases. She explained how several nurses left the hospital because they did not want to jeopardize mothers’ or babies’ health or their nursing licenses.
Ms. Hollon is a member of the hospital’s clinical staffing committee, but she says the hospital has consistently failed to meet the standards the committee sets. She and others have submitted numerous complaints to the New York State Department of Health, which has confirmed the hospital has allegedly violated 50 safe staffing requirements. The problem remains unresolved.
What Types of Injuries Can Hospital Understaffing Cause?
Hospital understaffing can result in various types of injuries and other adverse events, including:
Near Misses
Personnel and expertise understaffing contribute to near messes, which are events that have the potential to result in accidents and injuries. When there are inadequate numbers of staff, healthcare workers may have to devise ways to work around established protocols. Additionally, they may suffer from stress and fatigue that contribute to cognitive failures or judgment missteps.
Diagnostic Errors
Cognitive issues related to stress, fatigue, and burnout can lead to diagnostic errors, including failure to diagnose and misdiagnosis. Overwhelmed healthcare workers may have difficulty concentrating, making it more likely they will miss something important that harms patient care.
Additionally, there may be insufficient numbers of staff, increasing the risk that healthcare providers will not communicate or remember to include important information in patient records. Overworked staff members may diagnose a patient with the most obvious ailment associated with their symptoms and quickly move on to the next one rather than performing a robust differential diagnosis.
Medical Errors
Understaffed hospitals are unable to provide patients with the personalized care they deserve. Nurses may fail to provide care at regular intervals. Medical professionals may fail to communicate with each other, leading to errors in patient care. Patients may receive delayed care and diagnoses because there are not enough workers to provide prompt care.
Medication Errors
It’s easy for a healthcare provider who is overworked and stressed to make medication errors, such as:
- Giving the patient the wrong medication
- Giving the wrong patient medication
- Giving too much or too little medicine
- Failing to check the patient’s records for medication allergies
- Providing a medication that contraindicates pre-existing conditions
- Providing the wrong administrative route of medication
- Missing a dose
Poor Monitoring
Many hospital patients have critical conditions that can take a turn for the worse in seconds. If patients are not properly monitored or healthcare members do not respond to alerts, patients can be seriously injured or killed as a result.
Failing to Recognize Hazards
Overworked healthcare workers may not recognize hazards, such as choking or fall risks.
Infections
Research indicates that nursing understaffing increases the risk of catheter-related urinary tract infections and surgery-site infections. Even adding a single patient to a nurse’s workload can result in significant increases in infections. A 10% increase in a nurse’s workload was associated with a 50% increase in surgical site infections.
Pressure Ulcers
Infirm patients can develop bed sores if they are not rotated every couple of hours. These painful sores can sometimes become infected and lead to fatal sepsis.
Falls
A serious risk of hospital understaffing is patient falls. Patients who have called for assistance and are being ignored may try to get up on their own, increasing the likelihood they will fall. Additionally, two or more people may be necessary to lift a single person. When hospitals are understaffed, one staff member may try to lift a person alone, which can result in dropping and injuring the patient.
Workplace Injuries
Understaffing can also lead to workplace injuries. Overworked nurses may be more stressed and more likely to get sick. They may be required to perform heavy lifting, which can lead to neck and back injuries. Fatigued workers may also suffer work-related anxiety, depression, and stress.
Workplace Violence
Understaffing can also lead to assaults in the workplace when coworkers get angry about their demanding jobs and work environment or when patients or their families lash out because of unresponsive care. This puts healthcare workers and patients at risk.
Patient Abuse
Hospitals that are not adequately monitoring patients may also not be adequately monitoring their workforce. Healthcare workers may commit criminal acts against patients in their care, including physical and sexual assaults.
Who Is Liable for Injuries Caused by an Understaffed Hospital?
Liability depends on who and what caused your injury, illness, misdiagnosis, or other adverse condition. Hospitals are responsible for maintaining adequate staff numbers. If they fail to uphold this duty, they can be held financially liable for the results.
You could also have a direct claim against the negligent healthcare provider responsible for your care. Many medical providers are not hospital employees but rather independent contractors. You may be able to file a claim against that provider’s medical malpractice insurance.
Signs of Hospital Understaffing
Certain factors can indicate that a hospital is understaffed, including:
- An inadequate number of nurses assigned during a shift
- Complaints regarding patient care
- Nurses complaining about long hours or impossible workloads
- High turnover rates
- A lot of new and inexperienced staff members
- Filling staffing needs through temporary agencies
- Calls and alerts going unanswered
- Missing medication doses or monitoring check-ins
- Patients and families searching for staff
- Intake and release take too long
If you suspect understaffing contributed to your or your loved one’s injuries, reach out to an experienced attorney for help proving your case.
Contact the Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Powers & Santola, LLP for a Free Case Review
Hospital understaffing cases can be complex. An experienced lawyer can help review your case and gather evidence to establish the causal link between understaffing and the injury. The medical malpractice lawyers at Powers & Santola, LLP have over five decades of experience establishing negligent care that led to patient injuries. We have successfully recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of our clients. We can put our considerable resources and talents to use to fight for fair compensation to cover additional medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case.
