Nursing hours per patient day

At NMH, the nurse workforce includes registered nurses (RN) and patient care technicians (PCT). Together they provide direct patient care. The number of nursing staff can have a positive impact on patient safety and quality of care. Improved patient outcomes have been linked to higher levels of nurse (RN and PCT) staff.

The number of nursing staff caring for patients is determined by how many patients are in the hospital and the nursing care requirements of patients. Nursing hours per patient day is the total number of nursing staff providing patient care compared to the number of patients. The nursing hours reflect the number and complexity of patients for each clinical area. 

While there are no Illinois or national requirements for specific staffing levels, many hospitals measure “nursing hours per patient day” as a way to monitor and improve quality of care and service.  In Illinois, hospitals must report these data to the Department of Public Health.

About this measure

This measure tracks the total number of direct nursing care hours (RNs and PCTs) compared to the number of patients in the hospital. A higher number may indicate that a hospital provides a higher level of patient care.