Published on May 8, 2017
Evidence highlights danger of cutting RNs in Ontario
Despite decades of evidence that registered nurses (RN) keep patients safer and make the health system stronger, Ontario continues to put patients at risk by replacing RNs with less qualified care providers.
The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) reviewed 70 years of health-care research to create the comprehensive 70 years of RN effectiveness database, which is now available to the public. Of the 626 research studies identified by RNAO's scoping review, more than 95 per cent show RNs have a positive impact on a wide variety of health outcomes, including reduced mortality, increased quality of care, increased patient satisfaction, and cost savings. Yet Ontario has the lowest RN-to-population rate in Canada and RN replacement is commonplace.
In a collaborative project between the RNAO IABPG research team and RNAO's policy department, a scoping review was conducted in order to create a comprehensive electronic database of registered nurse (RN) effectiveness.
The database includes studies exploring the effectiveness of RNs on clinical/patient outcomes, organizational/nurse outcomes, and financial outcomes over the past 70 years. We have made the database freely available as a PDF reference list, as well as an EndNote file.
This database can be used for evidence-informed decision making by policy-makers, researchers, and health care administrators.
Despite decades of evidence that registered nurses (RN) keep patients safer and make the health system stronger, Ontario continues to put patients at risk by replacing RNs with less qualified care providers.
The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) reviewed 70 years of health-care research to create the comprehensive 70 years of RN effectiveness database, which is now available to the public. Of the 626 research studies identified by RNAO's scoping review, more than 95 per cent show RNs have a positive impact on a wide variety of health outcomes, including reduced mortality, increased quality of care, increased patient satisfaction, and cost savings. Yet Ontario has the lowest RN-to-population rate in Canada and RN replacement is commonplace.
In a collaborative project between the RNAO IABPG research team and RNAO's policy department, a scoping review was conducted in order to create a comprehensive electronic database of registered nurse (RN) effectiveness.
The database includes studies exploring the effectiveness of RNs on clinical/patient outcomes, organizational/nurse outcomes, and financial outcomes over the past 70 years. We have made the database freely available as a PDF reference list, as well as an EndNote file.
This database can be used for evidence-informed decision making by policy-makers, researchers, and health care administrators.
