Relationship between missed care and urinary tract infections in nursing homes

The aim of this study was to describe the frequencies and types of missed nursing care in nursing homes, and to determine the relationship between missed care and the incidence of UTI among nursing home residents. A secondary data analysis was conducted including New Jersey nurse survey data and data from Nursing Home Compare. The data included responses from 340 direct-care RNs from 63 nursing homes. Nearly one half of nurses reported missing at least one necessary care activity during their last shift. Of the 12 categories or types of reported missed care activities, seven categories of missed care were significantly correlated with UTI. Regression analysis indicated that failure to administer medications on time and failure to provide adequate patient surveillance explained 40% of the variance in the percent of residents with UTI in this sample.