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South Dakota State University

Nurse Administrators' and Nurse Managers' Attitudes About Nurse-To-Patient Ratios, the Nurse Shortage, Job Satisfaction, and Patient Care

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>This study explored South Dakota (SD) Nurse Administrators' (NAd)/Nurse Managers' (NM) attitudes about Nurse-To-Patient (NTP) ratios, the nurse shortage, job satisfaction, and patient care. Awareness of these important issues can benefit the nursing profession with additional knowledge and enhance patient care delivery in the midst of a nursing shortage. There is an increasing body of evidence showing that higher NTP ratios are related to decrease patient morbidity/mortality and higher job satisfaction. A newly developed, Likert-type survey was mailed to a convenience sample of 128 SD NAds/NMs; 49 completed the survey. The data showed that over half of SDNAds/NMs favored NTP ratios; however, there were mixed opinions on the value of ratios and the effect ratios may have on the nursing shortage, job satisfaction, retention, and patient care. These mixed results suggest that there is a need to educate NAds/NMs about ratios.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science (MS)
Level thesis:degree_level
Thesis - University Access Only
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Graduate Nursing
Year
2008

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Erdahl-Wynia, Shelley
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Barbara Hobbs

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • Copyright © 2008 Shelly Erdahl-Wynia
Language dc:language
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/932
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-1932

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
South Dakota State University
Base URL
openprairie.sdstate.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Erdahl-Wynia, Shelley. Nurse Administrators' and Nurse Managers' Attitudes About Nurse-To-Patient Ratios, the Nurse Shortage, Job Satisfaction, and Patient Care. Thesis - University Access Only thesis, 2008. https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/932