title: Hospital RNs' and CNOs' perceptions of the impact of the nursing shortage on the quality of care.
abstract: The results of analyses of the 2002 and 2004 National Sample Surveys of RNs and the 2004 National Sample of CNOs document the widespread perception that the shortage of nurses is a major problem for the overall quality of patient care in hospitals. In the eyes of the majority of hospital RNs and CNOs surveyed, care processes involving communication, timely response to pages and telephone calls, delays in patient discharges, and the time patients had to wait for tests and procedures were all affected negatively by the nursing shortage. These results are not encouraging.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Peter I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Buerhaus
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Donelan
authors.forename: Beth T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Mamie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dittus
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009718:Nurse Administrators; D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce