Study: Nurse Tenure Length Linked to Shorter Stays, Improved Outcomes

David Peters | May 5, 2014 |

American Economic AssociationNurse tenure, patient outcomes, and hospital stay length were linked in a recent study. Using panel data from the Department of Veteran Affairs, the findings, “Human Capital and Productivity in a Team Environment: Evidence from the Healthcare Sector“, were published in the Economic Journal: Applied Economics.

Researchers at Columbia University, the Department of Veteran Affairs, and Stanford University, called “the largest of its kind” by Buffalo Business First, found that there was positive correlation between nurse tenure length, improve patient outcomes, and shorter patient stays.

Other areas analyzed included: education level, departure of experienced nurses, the absorption of new hires, and the inclusion of temporary contract nurses are associated with significant decreases in productivity beyond those attributable to changes in nurses’ skill and experience.

The analysis will prove useful to Health Care Market stakeholders (esp. providers) regarding staff sizing, experience needs, and nurse tenure. Links with shorter stays and improved patient outcomes are especially prescient as providers try to integrate services. This is especially a boon for nurses’ unions where nurse tenure keeps experienced practitioners in the workforce.

As put by Emergency Consultants Inc.:

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