Patient falls: Association with hospital Magnet status and nursing unit staffing

The relationships between hospital Magnet® status, nursing unit staffing, and patient falls were examined in a cross‐sectional study using 2004 National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI®) data from 5,388 units in 108 Magnet and 528 non‐Magnet hospitals. In multivariate models, the fall rate was 5% lower in Magnet than non‐Magnet hospitals. An additional registered nurse (RN) hour per patient day was associated with a 3% lower fall rate in ICUs. An additional licensed practical nurse (LPN) or nursing assistant (NA) hour was associated with a 2–4% higher fall rate in non‐ICUs. Patient safety may be improved by creating environments consistent with Magnet hospital standards. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 33:413–425, 2010