Assessment of Staffing Levels and Patient Outcomes in Surgical Wards at Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe

Background: Nurse staffing levels are directly linked to patient safety outcomes including mortality, falls, medication errors, and hospital-acquired infections. Staffing deficiencies in Nigerian surgical wards represent a serious quality of care concern. Aim: This study assessed nurse staffing levels and their association with patient outcomes in surgical wards at Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, North East Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive correlational design combined administrative staffing records review with analysis of adverse event logs for 180 surgical patient admissions. Spearman's correlation was applied to assess relationships between nurse-to-patient ratios and outcome indicators. Results: The mean nurse-to-patient ratio was 1:11, well below the recommended 1:4 standard. Significant negative correlations were identified between nurse staffing adequacy and rates of pressure ulcers (r = -0.55), medication errors (r = -0.49), and unplanned readmissions. Conclusion: Chronic understaffing is associated with poorer surgical patient outcomes in this setting. The study recommends urgent review of nurse deployment policies, recruitment of additional nursing staff, and mandatory minimum staffing ratio legislation in Nigerian public hospitals. Keywords: nurse staffing, patient outcomes, surgical wards, Gombe, nursing workforce.