Maintaining the appropriate number and mix of nursing staff is critical to delivering quality patient care. In fact, numerous studies show an association between higher levels of experienced registered nurse staffing and better patient outcomes.
That is why Emerson Hospital has always strived to provide the highest possible level of nurse staffing, particularly in our Critical Care Unit (CCU).
To ensure that all hospitals in the state met these high standards, in 2014 Massachusetts passed a law specific to intensive care/critical care units requiring that there be a 1:1 or 1:2 nurse-to-patient ratio, depending on stability of the patient. The law also requires all Massachusetts hospitals with an intensive care unit (ICU) or critical care unit (CCU) to report these units’ quarterly registered nurse-to-patient ratios to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
In the interest of transparency — and the peace of mind of our patients and their families — we regularly share this quarterly staffing data for Emerson Hospital’s Critical Care Unit here on our website.
These are our nurse-to-patient ratios from the most recent 4 quarters:
| Reporting Period |
Average Daily Patient Census |
Average Daily Staff Nurse Census |
Average Daily Staff Nurse-to-Patient Ratio |
| 2024 |
|
|
|
| July – September |
6.10 |
3.33 |
1:1.83 |
| April – June |
6.27 |
3.98 |
1:1.58 |
| January – March |
5.90 |
2.86 |
1:2.06 |
| 2023 |
|
|
|
| October – December |
5.77 |
3.87 |
1:1.49 |
For more information, please contact Emerson Health VP of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Office Mark Mahnfeldt at
978-287-3219.
