Nurse burnout tied to lower patient safety, study finds

Systems-level interventions to reduce nurse burnout may improve patient outcomes, a JAMA Network Open study concludes. The systematic review of 85 studies from 1994 to 2024 included more than 288,000 nurses from 32 countries. The study found an association between nurse burnout and reduced patient safety climate; more hospital-acquired infections, patient falls, medication errors and adverse events; lower patient satisfaction ratings; and lower nurse-assessed quality of care. Despite decades of national and organizational efforts to improve quality of care, the link between burnout and quality of care was increasingly negative over three decades. The authors stress the need for systemic interventions, rather than solutions targeted at individuals. (JAMA Network Open study, 11/5/24)