Exploring how nurse staffing affects patient outcomes based on individual nurse characteristics.
Official title: Understanding the relationship between nurse staffing and outcomes: impact of individual nurse education, expertise, and effort level on individual patient outcomes
Funded at Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys · NIH-11141585 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how the number of nurses caring for patients and their experience can affect how well patients do in the hospital, so we can find better ways to match nurses with patients for the best care possible.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Palo Alto, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01HX003546-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11141585 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients receiving care in settings where nurse staffing levels and nurse characteristics can be closely monitored.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not currently receiving care in environments with adjustable nurse staffing may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how the ratio of nurses to patients and the individual characteristics of nurses, such as their education and experience, influence patient outcomes. By matching patients with the specific nurses who care for them during each shift, the study aims to uncover the direct impact of these assignments on health results. The approach involves analyzing data while controlling for various factors that may also affect outcomes, such as patient needs and hospital characteristics. This innovative methodology seeks to provide insights that could lead to better staffing strategies tailored to patient requirements.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved patient care and outcomes by optimizing nurse staffing based on individual patient needs.
How similar studies have gone: While there have been smaller studies on nurse staffing, this research represents a novel approach by linking individual nurses to their patients on a large scale.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
Palo Alto, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Phibbs, Ciaran S. — Veterans Admin Palo Alto Health Care Sys
- Study coordinator: Phibbs, Ciaran S.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.