Abstract
The nation is facing a nursing shortage that is creating a crisis for quality healthcare and patient safety. Research has documented that problems with nurse staffing are associated with healthcare-associated infections and other adverse events that affect patient outcomes. These ominous facts, stated during the opening of an expert consultants meeting convened by the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, laid the foundation for a day-long discussion and a call to action to address a growing crisis in healthcare. The authors summarize the proceedings of this meeting and present the consultants' suggestions for drawing national attention to this issue.