title: Measuring the contribution of nursing to quality, patient safety, and health care outcomes.
abstract: In 2004, the National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsed a set of voluntary consensus standards for nursing-sensitive care that quantifies nursing's contribution to patient safety, health care outcomes, and a professional work environment. Since endorsement, these consensus standards have been the basis for research, quality improvement, and policy setting. This article provides a summary of NQF's consensus development process and various efforts that have cascaded from the endorsement of these consensus standards.
authors.affiliation: National Quality Forum (NQF), USA.
authors.forename: Ellen T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Kurtzman
authors.forename: Janet M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Corrigan
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease / Q000451:nursing; D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000458:organization & administration; D032921:Consensus; D003657:Decision Making; D004522:Educational Status; D005544:Forecasting; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015401:Nursing Administration Research; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000592:standards*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012107:Research Design; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013597:Systems Analysis; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*