Nurse to Patient Ratios and Work Performance Among Nurses of Government Hospitals in the Province of Guimaras

This quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational-comparative study examined the relationship between nurse-to-patient ratios and the self-reported work performance of 90 registered nurses in government hospitals in Guimaras, Philippines. Guided by Donabedian’s Structure–Process–Outcome (SPO) and the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) models, data were collected via an adapted staffing self-report tool and the validated 15-item Nurse Work Performance Scale (NWPS). Analysis via descriptive statistics, Spearman’s ρ, and the Mann-Whitney U test (α=.05) revealed a female-dominated workforce (86.67%) facing a systemic critical workload baseline (M=1:15.11), peaking at 1:26.00 in the Outpatient Department. Despite acute structural strains, nurses maintained a uniform "Very Satisfactory" performance baseline (M=4.01, SD=0.53). Inferential testing showed no statistically significant relationship or group differences between standard and critical workloads. Cultural malasakit (compassion) and workflow compression temporarily decoupled performance from understaffing. However, this reliance on human exhaustion risks long-term clinical burnout and workforce attrition.