Improving surgical outcomes is a priority during the last decades because of the rising economic health care burden. The adoption of enhanced recovery programs has been proven to be part of the solution.

In this context, the impact of variations in the nursing care supply-demand ratio on postoperative complications and its economic consequences is still not well elucidated.

Because patients require different amounts of care, the present study focused on the more accurate relationship between demand and supply of nursing care rather than the nurse-to-patient ratio.

A Projet de Recherche en Nursing (PRN) ratio of 0.8 may be sufficient for patients treated following enhanced recovery after surgery guidelines, pending the adoption of an accurate nursing planning system.

This may contribute to better allocation of nursing resources and optimization of expenses on the long run.

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