Abstract
This paper argues that mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios are an ethical necessity within healthcare systems. Drawing on personal clinical experience, it is illustrated how inadequate staffing leads to rushed care, increased risk of errors, and diminished patient outcomes. The discussion is grounded in core healthcare ethics—beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice—emphasizing that nurses cannot consistently uphold these principles when overwhelmed by excessive workloads. Evidence from research is used to demonstrate that higher patient loads are associated with increased mortality rates, preventable complications, and decreased quality of care, while improved staffing enhances patient safety and nurse satisfaction. The paper also addresses the impact of understaffing on nurse burnout and workforce retention, highlighting a cycle that further exacerbates healthcare shortages. Although hospitals often cite financial constraints and reduced flexibility as reasons to oppose mandated ratios, adequate staffing ultimately reduces long-term costs by preventing adverse events and improving efficiency. Framed within the concept of the common good, the argument asserts that safe staffing benefits not only individual patients and nurses but also the broader community. The paper concludes that healthcare systems have a moral responsibility to prioritize staffing policies that ensure safe, effective, and compassionate care.
Sigma Membership
Kappa Phi at-Large
Type
Other Undergraduate Paper
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Nurse-Patient Ratio, Hospital Nursing Staff, Patient Safety, Medical Ethics, California
Advisor
Christina Tourino
Degree Grantor
College of Stain Benedicts and Saint John's University
Degree Year
2026
Recommended Citation
Gallup, Haley M., "Should Minimum Nurse Staffing Ratios Be Mandated?" (2026). DNP and Student Works. 332.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/dnps/332
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
None: Degree-based Submission
Acquisition
Self-submission
Date of Issue
2026-04-08
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Description
Brief description of course assignment: Identify and defend an ethical position about an issue that matters deeply to you that you can link in some way to the common good as you are coming to understand that. It might be an everyday matter. As you consider topics, think of this issue as a subject of public discussion. Establish your perspective clearly, and strive to make a compelling contribution to this discussion. Be sure your claim is contestable, and let your readers see those counterclaims either implicitly or explicitly.