Nursing Outlook
Volume 57, Issue 2 , Pages 107-112 , March 2009

Avoiding mandatory hospital nurse staffing ratios: An economic commentary

  • Peter I. Buerhaus, RN, PhD, FAAN

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author: Dr. Peter I. Buerhaus, Vanderbilt University Medical Center School of Nursing, 2525 West End Avenue, Sixth Floor, Suite 600, Nashville, TN 37203-1738

References 

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  2. Institute of Medicine. To err is human: Building a safer health system. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2000;
  3. Institute of Medicine. Crossing the quality chasm: A new health system for the 21st century (Committee on Quality Health Care in America, Institute of Medicine). Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2001;
  4. Page A. Editor, Institute of Medicine, Committee on the Work Environment for Nurses and Patient Safety Board on Health Care Services (Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2004;
  5. Thrall T. Nurse staffing laws: Should you worry?. Hospitals & Health Networks. 2008;82:36–39
  6. The Ratio Solution (CNA/NNOC's RN-to-Patient Ratios Work—Better Care, More Nurses). www.calnurses.org/assets/pdf/ratios/ratios_booklet.pdfAccessed October 24, 2008.
  7. Buerhaus P, Donelan K, Ulrich B, DesRoches C. Unpublished data from the 2008 National Survey of Registered Nurses, conducted March 4 to June 3. 2008;
  8. Mansfield W. Microeconomics (Theory & Applications). (4th ed). New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company; 1982;
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  10. Coffman J, Seago J, Spetz J. Minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in acute care hospitals in California. Health Aff. 2002;21:53–64
  11. Spetz J. California's minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. J Nurs Adm. 2004;34:571–578
  12. Spetz J. Nurse satisfaction and the implementation of minimum nurse staffing regulations. Policy Polit Nurs Pract. 2008;9:15–21
  13. Buerhaus P, Donelan K, Ulrich B, DesRoches C, Dittus R. Trends in the experiences of hospital employed registered nurses: Results from three national surveys. Nurs Econ. 2007;25:69–79
  14. Donaldson N, Burnes Bolton L, Aydin C, Brown D, Elashoff J, Sandhu M. Impact of California's licensed nurse patient ratios on unit-level nurse staffing and patient outcomes. Policy Polit Nurs Pract. 2005;6:198–210
  15. Burnes Bolton L, Aydin C, Donaldson N, et al. Mandated nurse staffing ratios in California: A comparison of staffing and nursing-sensitive outcomes pre-and postregulation. Policy Polit Nurs Pract. 2008;6:238–250
  16. Sochalski J, Konetzka R, Zhu J, Volpp K. Will mandated minimum nurse staffing ratios lead to better patient outcomes?. Med Care. 2008;46:606–613
  17. Litvak E, Buerhaus P, Davidoff F, Long M, McManus M, Berwick D. Managing unnecessary variability in patient demand to reduce nursing stress and improve patient safety. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2005;31:330–338
  18. Litvak E, Buerhaus P, Leape L, Berwick D. Designing reliable healthcare delivery systems by managing variations in patient loads. Under journal review (2008).
  19. Kurtzman E, Buerhaus P. New Medicare payment rules: Danger or opportunity for nursing?. Am J Nurs. 2008;108:30–35
  20. Buerhaus P, Staiger D, Auerbach D. The future of the nursing workforce in the United States: Data, trends, and implications. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett; 2008;

PII: S0029-6554(08)00269-8

doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2008.09.009

Nursing Outlook
Volume 57, Issue 2 , Pages 107-112 , March 2009