According to a new study, higher registered nurse (RN) staffing is associated with a reduced number of COVID-19 cases and death in nursing homes. In a study involving 215 Connecticut nursing homes, researchers found:
- The average number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is eight per nursing home; 107 facilities have had zero cases.
- The average number of confirmed deaths is 1.7 per nursing home (131 facilities have had zero deaths).
- An increase of 20 minutes of RN staffing per resident day was associated with a significant decrease in confirmed cases.
- 4- and 5-star facilities have had fewer confirmed cases compared with 1- to 3-star facilities.