Study Sheds Light on Why For-Profit Hospitals Have Worse Nursing and Patient Outcomes

This new study by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing provides evidence that for-profit hospitals tend to invest less in nursing services, which may help explain their consistently poorer patient and nurse outcomes. Previous research had already shown that for-profit hospitals experience higher mortality and readmission rates, poorer access for disadvantaged populations, and lower overall care quality. This latest study therefore sought to understand the reason for these outcomes.

Analyzing data from 113 adult acute-care hospitals in Illinois, the researchers found that for-profit hospitals had worse nurse staffing ratios, less favorable work environments, and lower ratings for patient safety and infection control.

Despite comparable hospital sizes, technological capabilities, and operating margins across ownership types, for-profit hospitals consistently underperformed in areas tied to nursing care. Nurses in these facilities reported significantly poorer work environments and gave lower grades for their hospitals’ quality and safety practices. Lead researcher K. Jane Muir emphasized that patients in for-profit hospitals received less nursing care overall, which is a known risk factor for worse outcomes.

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