Nurse Education Improves Post-Op Survival in Dementia Patients

Having more nurses in the hospital with at least a bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN) is tied to lower postsurgical mortality among patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Elizabeth M. White, MSN, from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues assessed data from Medicare claims (2006 to 2007) linked with the Multi-State Nursing Care and Patient Safety Survey of nurses in four states in order to assess the association between nursing education and postsurgery mortality among individuals with ADRD.

The researchers found that after controlling for hospital, procedure, and individual characteristics, each 10% increase in the proportion of BSN nurses was associated with 4% lower odds of death after surgery (odds ratio, 0.96) for individuals without ADRD, but 10% lower odds of postsurgical death (odds ratio, 0.90) for those with ADRD.

"Having more BSN nurses in the hospital improves the odds of good outcomes for all individuals and has a much greater effect in individuals with ADRD," the authors wrote.

Source: HealthDay News