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HHS Statewide

Nurse-to-patient Ratios

Hospital Performance
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Hospital Performance

  • Emergency Care
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  • Nurse-to-patient Ratios
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    • Statewide
  • Medical and Surgical wards
  • Mental Health wards

Mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient ratios were introduced in designated adult acute medical and surgical wards, as well as adult acute mental health wards in two prescribed facilities in Queensland's public hospitals on 1 July 2016. The minimum nurse staffing ratios are 1:4 for morning shifts, 1:4 for afternoon shifts and 1:7 for night shifts, relative to the number of patients on the ward, with compliance reported across the data indicators in the table below.

The existing nursing and midwifery workload management methodology tool, the Business Planning Framework, will continue to apply across all nursing and midwifery services in Queensland Health, regardless of whether a ward is designated in the nurse-to-patient ratios legislation or not.

Quarter Compliance rate Number of compliant shifts Total number of shifts Statewide compliance rate Statewide number of in scope wards
Mar 2022 100% 42,456 42,613 100% 163
Dec 2021 100% 44,348 44,476 100% 162
Sep 2021 100% 44,275 44,385 100% 162
Jun 2021 100% 43,471 43,615 100% 162
Mar 2021 100% 42,783 42,877 100% 162
Dec 2020 100% 44,072 44,128 100% 161
Sep 2020 100% 43,750 43,815 100% 160
Jun 2020 100% 42,591 42,611 100% 160
Mar 2020 100% 42,555 42,648 100% 158
Dec 2019 99% 45,488 45,816 99% 166
Sep 2019 99% 45,397 45,630 99% 166
Jun 2019 100% 44,704 44,862 100% 165
Mar 2019 100% 43,637 43,780 100% 165
Dec 2018 100% 43,910 44,010 100% 161
Sep 2018 100% 43,983 44,088 100% 160
Jun 2018 100% 43,435 43,472 100% 160
Mar 2018 100% 42,493 42,569 100% 159
Dec 2017 100% 43,586 43,665 100% 159
Sep 2017 100% 43,401 43,581 100% 159
Jun 2017 100% 41,864 41,977 100% 154
Mar 2017 100% 41,095 41,242 100% 154
Dec 2016 99% 42,142 42,467 99% 154
Sep 2016 98% 40,544 41,548 98% 155

All data is preliminary and subject to change. "-" indicates data not available or not applicable.

Source: Based on self-reported data provided by each HHS. Statewide, in scope wards comprise acute medical wards, acute surgical wards (and, up to and including December 2019 quarter, adult acute mental health wards in prescribed facilities located within Metro North HHS and Metro South HHS). Prescribed facilities are designated under the Hospital and Health Boards Regulation 2012.

Only enrolled nurses, registered nurses and registered midwives who are providing direct care and have an allocation of one or more patients may be counted in the ratio.

Quoted percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient ratios were introduced in adult acute mental health wards in prescribed public facilities in Queensland on 15 November 2019. The minimum nurse staffing ratios are 1:4 for morning shifts, 1:4 for afternoon shifts and 1:7 for night shifts, relative to the number of patients on the ward, with compliance reported across the data indicators in the table below.

The existing nursing and midwifery workload management methodology tool, the Business Planning Framework, will continue to apply across all nursing and midwifery services in Queensland Health, regardless of whether a ward is designated in the nurse-to-patient ratios legislation or not.

Quarter Compliance rate Number of compliant shifts Total number of shifts Statewide compliance rate Statewide number of in scope wards
Mar 2022 100% 9,669 9,710 100% 36
Dec 2021 100% 9,772 9,843 100% 36
Sep 2021 99% 9,604 9,660 99% 35
Jun 2021 99% 9,351 9,450 99% 35
Mar 2021 100% 9,416 9,450 100% 35
Dec 2020 99% 9,609 9,660 99% 35
Sep 2020 100% 9,613 9,660 100% 35
Jun 2020 99% 9,485 9,555 99% 35
Mar 2020 99% 9,071 9,183 99% 35

All data is preliminary and subject to change. "-" indicates data not available or not applicable.

Source: Based on self-reported data provided by each HHS. Statewide, in scope wards comprise acute medical wards, acute surgical wards (and, up to and including December 2019 quarter, adult acute mental health wards in prescribed facilities located within Metro North HHS and Metro South HHS). Prescribed facilities are designated under the Hospital and Health Boards Regulation 2012.

Only enrolled nurses, registered nurses and registered midwives who are providing direct care and have an allocation of one or more patients may be counted in the ratio.

Quoted percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.

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