Abstract
Given the evolving body of academic literature tying patient outcomes to specific nurse staffing variables (ratios, education, experience, etc), hospitals are increasingly challenged to balance ideal investments in care quality with current nurse labor constraints. The Nursing Executive Center conducted structured interviews with chief nurses from a cross section of the nation's leading hospitals to understand how nursing leaders are incorporating recent academic findings in workforce planning and unit-level staffing. Study findings demonstrate a clear consensus among chief nurses on which staffing enhancements hold the greatest promise for positively impacting each of 14 distinct unit attributes.