The purpose of this study is to examine the difference of direct nursing activity and patient outcomes as mortality rate, complication rate, readmission rate and length of stay related to graded fee of nursing management for inpatient.

The subjects of this study were 44 general hospitals with more than 500 beds. Data totaled to 86,044 claims provided to inpatients in Jan. 2001 requested by an electronic data interchange from a Health Insurance Review Agency. The data was analyzed by SPSS win(ver.10.0) and statistical methods used were frequency, one-way ANOVA, χ²-Test and regression.

Synthetic judgment through performance index and 95% confidence interval, direct nursing activity showed to provided adequate quality of nursing care on 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th nursing degree. Also, patient outcomes showed difference by graded fee of nursing management for inpatient. Mortality rate of 2nd was the lowest with P.I. 67.9, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 4th in order. In case of complication rate, 2nd, 3rd and 4th were lower than other nursing degree. Readmission rate of 4th and 5th was the lowest. Length of stay of 2nd was the shortest with P.I. 88.3, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 4th, 6th in order.

The findings from this study showed that, the higher nurse-to-patient ratio, the greater amount of direct nursing care activity for the patient. Also, the more direct nursing activities influenced a lower mortality rate, complication rate and readmission rate, shorter length of stay.