The Mediating Role of Missed Care in the Association Between Nurse Staffing and Patient Readmissions Across U.S. Hospitals

Nurse staffing and missed nursing care are associated with patient readmissions. However, the mediating role of missed care in this relationship is not well understood. This retrospective study investigated the potential mediating effect of missed care on the relationship between nurse staffing and patient readmissions across 573 U.S. hospitals. Mediation analyses examined whether, and to what extent, missed care explains the relationship between nurse staffing and patient readmissions. Nurse staffing was associated with patient readmissions both directly and indirectly through missed care, which accounted for 10% of the total association. These findings suggest that missed care is an important pathway through which nurse staffing affects readmission rates. Addressing inadequate nurse staffing and reducing missed care are essential strategies for lowering readmissions. The findings have important implications for developing evidence-based interventions and informing policy to improve the quality of care in healthcare institutions.