Advocates of mandated staffing ratios say they improve patient outcomes. A recent study finds otherwise. Nurse-to-patient ratios are a hot button issue. Look no further than Massachusetts for an example. After a battle that included a legal challenge that put it before the state’s Supreme Judicial Court, Baystate voters will see a ballot question on nurse-to-patient ratios in November. Proponents of the initiative say it would improve patient safety while opponents say it would be too costly for the healthcare system to support. And now, to add fuel to the fire, new research by physician-researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center finds Massachusetts’ previous regulations regarding nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in intensive care units were not associated with improvements in patient outcomes.

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