Nurses in 535 hospitals across four states say patient care is inadequate, Penn study reveals

A recent School of Nursing study found that the majority of nurses across four states believed that patient care at their respective hospitals is inadequate. The research, published in Health Affairs, was a follow-up on an influential 1999 survey on nursing work environments. 

The study, organized by the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, surveyed nurses at 535 hospitals in Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey, and California. Of the nurses surveyed, 54.9 percent “would definitely not recommend their hospital” and 60.4 percent said that patient care was “less than excellent.”  

The 1999 survey found that hospital conditions had to change to reduce patient harm. However, leading author of the new study, Nursing School professor Linda Aikens, said to the Philadelphia Inquirer that the new study shows that not enough progress has been made. Only 21 percent of studied hospitals showed significant improvements in work environment scores, the new study said. 

"Our recent study of nurses and patients suggests that those recommendations have not been uniformly adopted by hospitals," said Aikens, "which may be hampering progress toward improving patient safety and preventing patient harm."

Penn has consistently received honors for its nursing school. In 2017, a Nursing School professor was named to the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. The Nursing School was also ranked number one in nursing school research funding by the National Institute of Health in 2010.