A Research Project of the Institute of Nursing Science · University of Basel

The Study

Project Background and Aim

Background

In healthcare, quality is defined as safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and fair. In order to achieve these criteria and continually improve, quality of care must be described. The second MatchRN survey in 2017/2018 builds on the the Swiss part of the EU study  “Registered Nurse Forecasting” (RN4CAST) 1 and the first MatchRN survey conducted in 2015. The different data collections allow the professional working environment and changes in working practices to be assessed over time. The MatchRN study follows the Dubois 2013 model which depicts nursing services and quality. Staff and patient surveys were carried out in the participating hospitals to survey the working environment and identify areas in which it could  be improved. These included the reporting and recording of structure, process and results indices assessing the quality of the working environment, staffing levels, skill mix, patient safety, quality of care and patient satisfaction.

Aim

The MatchRN study has the following objectives:

  1. To describe the structures and processes regarding the nursing work environment, skill and grade mix, care activities, patient safety and care quality in the participating hospitals before and after the introduction of the SwissDRGs.
  2. To investigate the association of nursing processes and structures on selected nursing and patient-related outcomes.
  3. To provide benchmarking for hospitals and units regarding specific indicators/ outcomes to allow internal comparison between units as well as an external comparison with the other participating hospitals.

Project Plan

Project content / scope

The MatchRN study includes:

  1. Two data collections, 2015/2016 and 2017/2018 relating to specified themes in patient/nursing care.
  2. Development of a benchmarking at unit and hospital level on the selected indicators/indices and results.
  3. Communication of results (publications, presentations at conferences).
Data collection procedure

There will be one survey for nurses and for patients carried out in 2015/2016 and 2017/2018 in participating hospitals, as well as administrative data collection on a hospital and unit level.

Selection of hospitals, departments, nurses and patients
Hospitals, Departments: 23 hospitals took part in the first 2015/2016 survey. First, hospitals that were already involved in the RN4CAST study were invited. For benchmarking purposes, each hospital was required to nominate at least three units to participate in the survey, one medical, one surgical and one mixed medical-surgical. New/additional hospitals were welcome to participate in the 2017/2018 survey, leading to about 25 and 160 units participating.

Nurses: In the 2017/2018 survey, only nursing staff (HF, FH, DNI/II) employed in the participating hospitals in the selected units at the time of data collection were invited to participate in the study.

Patients: All patients, 18 years and older, who have been hospitalized for at least 24 hours at the time of data collection and who are able to complete the study questionnaire, are invited to participate in the study. Patients with physical disabilities (vision, Parkinson’s disease etc.) can be assisted in filling in the questionnaire by the department staff or relatives.

Preparation and implementation of data collection
The questionnaires (nurses, patients and administrative data) are prepared by the project team. The distribution of the questionnaires and data collection on site is organized and carried out by the designated nursing managers in the hospitals in collaboration with the project team.

1Sermeus et al. (2011). Nurse Forecasting in Europe (RN4CAST): Rationale, design and methodology. BMC Nurs, 10(1).