Running Header: BENCHMARK ASSIGNMENT 1
Benchmark Assignment
Student Name
Grand Canyon University NUR-
508 Date
, BENCHMARK ASSIGNMENT 2
Introduction
The role of nurses in providing health is one that cannot be misinterpreted. According to
the American college of Rheumatology, “the role of the Registered Nurse (RN) is to provide
health care to individuals, families, and communities. They provide services designed to
promote health, prevent illness, and achieve optimal recovery from or adaptation to health
problems[Ame18]. When a patient is admitted into a skilled nursing facility (SNF), the main
role of the nurse is to prevent adverse events from happening to the patients. The aim of this
paper is to look at reviewing the Public Health Service Act focusing mainly on the minimum
registered nurse to patient ratio.
When looking at the Public Health Service Act, specifically at the patient ratio, it states
that the minimum registered nurse to patient ratio is five patients in a rehab or skilled nursing
unit. Nurse to patient ratios are crucial when determining staffing for a hospital. At a SNF a
patient receives therapy to help improve his or her condition or help maintain a current condition
and prevent it from getting worse [USD15]. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) have monitored the adverse events in SNFs and have found that 22 percent of Medicare
recipients have experienced an adverse event and 11 percent experienced temporary harm while
staying at a SNF[Lev14]. Among these patients’ 59 percent could have been prevented. While
the complexity of the patients being treated at SNFs increase, the number of patients a nurse has
remains the same[Ous13]. This makes it harder for the nurse to recognize changing in condition
and to provide appropriate care to prevent adverse events to patients.
When providing optimal care with professional nursing values, optimum staffing is
pertinent. Studies have been performed that show appropriate staffing improve patient care.
Some of the improvements include: “reduction/decrease in medical and medication errors,
Benchmark Assignment
Student Name
Grand Canyon University NUR-
508 Date
, BENCHMARK ASSIGNMENT 2
Introduction
The role of nurses in providing health is one that cannot be misinterpreted. According to
the American college of Rheumatology, “the role of the Registered Nurse (RN) is to provide
health care to individuals, families, and communities. They provide services designed to
promote health, prevent illness, and achieve optimal recovery from or adaptation to health
problems[Ame18]. When a patient is admitted into a skilled nursing facility (SNF), the main
role of the nurse is to prevent adverse events from happening to the patients. The aim of this
paper is to look at reviewing the Public Health Service Act focusing mainly on the minimum
registered nurse to patient ratio.
When looking at the Public Health Service Act, specifically at the patient ratio, it states
that the minimum registered nurse to patient ratio is five patients in a rehab or skilled nursing
unit. Nurse to patient ratios are crucial when determining staffing for a hospital. At a SNF a
patient receives therapy to help improve his or her condition or help maintain a current condition
and prevent it from getting worse [USD15]. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) have monitored the adverse events in SNFs and have found that 22 percent of Medicare
recipients have experienced an adverse event and 11 percent experienced temporary harm while
staying at a SNF[Lev14]. Among these patients’ 59 percent could have been prevented. While
the complexity of the patients being treated at SNFs increase, the number of patients a nurse has
remains the same[Ous13]. This makes it harder for the nurse to recognize changing in condition
and to provide appropriate care to prevent adverse events to patients.
When providing optimal care with professional nursing values, optimum staffing is
pertinent. Studies have been performed that show appropriate staffing improve patient care.
Some of the improvements include: “reduction/decrease in medical and medication errors,
