Scoping review: Hospital nursing factors associated with 30‐day readmission rates of patients with heart failure

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To review the current literature on hospital nursing factors associated with 30-day readmission rates of patients with heart failure. BACKGROUND: Heart failure is a common, yet debilitating chronic illness with high mortality and morbidity. One in five patients with heart failure will experience unplanned readmission to a hospital within 30 days. Given the significance of heart failure to individuals, families and healthcare system, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has made reducing 30-day readmission rates a priority. DESIGN: Scoping review, which maps the key concepts of a research area, is used. METHODS: Published primary studies in English assessing factors related to nurses in hospitals and readmission of patients with heart failure were included. Other inclusion criteria were written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals. RESULTS: The search resulted in 2,782 articles. After removing duplicates and reviewing the inclusion and exclusion criteria, five articles were selected. Three nursing workforce factors emerged as follows: (i) nursing staffing, (ii) nursing care and work environment, and (iii) nurses' knowledge of heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first scoping review examining the association between hospital nursing factors and 30-day readmission rates of patients with heart failure. Further studies examining the extent of nursing structural and process factors influencing the outcomes of patients with heart failure are needed. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses are an integral part of the healthcare system. Identifying the factors related to nurses in hospitals is important to ensure comprehensive delivery of care to the chronically ill population. Hospital administrators, managers and policymakers can use the findings from this review to implement strategies to reduce 30-day readmission rates of patients with heart failure.